PENAMPANG: Huguan Siou Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said he never regretted pulling Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) out of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition two weeks before the 1990 general election.
The former Chief Minister said the party he founded and which after 45 days of being registered wrested the State Government from Parti Berjaya in the 1985 State election would have been wiped out if he had not taken the step that year (1990), an action which then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad described as “a stab in the back”.
“At that crucial time we were facing election. Strategically, if we did not leave BN, we may have been wiped out. People generally wanted us to continue even without being in BN,” said the Papar-born Pairin, 86.
He was speaking after launching his autobiography titled “Joseph Pairin Kitingan: Life is a continuous struggle. Friendship a continuous search” at the Tan Sri Pairin Hall at Honkod Koisaan, here, Saturday.
The PBS pull out has been widely blamed for the influx of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, many of whom managed to somehow obtain documents. It has also been blamed for Umno expanding to East Malaysia for the first time that same year and wresting the state government four years later allegedly with the help of phantom voters suspected to be illegals using dubious documents and political frogging by elected PBS assemblymen who defected.
“We asked for projects and he (Mahathir) did not want to give. He did not answer. So the people were angry. They did not want us to stay in BN.”He said PBS rejoined BN after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States when Mahathir appealed to everyone to fight terrorism.
“We realised we must help fight terrorism. We have to be together. In that sense, we asked to become a member of BN again,” he said. “Of course, when you are applying, you say you regret. But at that time it was a need,” he said.
Pairin recalled that PBS won the 1994 election narrowly. “They lured our people. We had only 25. I waited outside the Istana for 36 hours,” he said. “Tun Mustapha came to support me. He was angry too. He was also cheated.” Asked about PBS leaders who left to form their own parties, Pairin said that was in 1994. “According to Mahathir, whoever first joined BN with his own party would be Chief Minister,” he said. “He baited them.
“Five parties were registered in one week. We waited nine months. This is Mahathir’s work. They scattered. Each wanted to be Chief Minister. That was their problem,” he said, apparently referring to Tan Sri Bernard Dompok (Parti Demokratik Sabah and later Upko), Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee (SAPP), Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia (Akar), Tan Sri Joseph Kurup (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah) and his brother Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan (PBRS, Akar).
Mahathir than introduced the rotation system of chief ministership where every party leader would hold the fort for two years or less.
He said that led to the change of government and he had to hand the government to Tun Sakaran Dandai, who became head of Usno.
Pairin said the Usno post was promised to Tun Mustapha but given to Sakaran. “So, Tun Mustapha was angry,” he said, adding Tun Mustapha then gave up his Umno post and membership and returned to Sabah.
“He got into my car and waited with me outside the Istana. He was still smoking cigarettes. So, he was my friend.”He said Tun Mustapha’s son, Amir Kahar, asked him (Mustapha) in hospital whether he wanted to return to Umno. “He (Mustapha) said no, support PBS,” Pairin said. “Tun Mustapha died as a PBS supporter.”On the book, Pairin said it was to leave a record for his grandchildren. “I thought a book like this would be useful for my grandchildren and great grandchildren.
“They will know who their grandfather was, where he came from and what he did.”Pairin said he did not first think he should have a book, but friends urged him. “It is not easy to make a book if we are not used to writing and we expect others to write it,” he said.
He said the book is also for supporters, friends and relatives. “It is for sharing and remembrance.
“When we read other books, we learn from the writer’s experience. Sometimes we learn how to avoid bad things.”Pairin said he had some early notes before he retired from government. Serious work began after he retired. “I had no other work, so I arranged myself, looked at the computer and learnt how to write.” He said the book also covers hard matters. “There are things that are hard to avoid but must be faced and overcome. There are also stories where we had to debate or quarrel with certain groups.”
