Joseph Pairin Kitingan, 72, while wanting to scale back on his politics, is not prepared to risk his party, PBS, losing in the 13th general election. |
KOTA KINABALU: In the interior towns in the state, Parti Bersatu
Sabah (PBS) and its septuagenarian leader, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, are
greeted with either scorn or grudging respect, depending on who you talk
to.
Ask Joseph, a youth in Tambunan who declined to give his full name,
and he is unequivocal in his answer about the failings of the “huguan
siou” or paramount chief of the Kadazandusun community.
“What has he done since becoming deputy chief minister?” he asks as
he decries the politics of the ruling Umno-led Barisan Nasional
coalition to which Pairin hitched his party some 20 years ago.
However, both agree that PBS without Pairin will be dead and any
sentiment people may still feel for the party will evaporate if he exits
the political stage.
Pairin undoubtedly knows this and has moved to allay fears that he
will step aside before the 13th general election, which is due anytime.
After being entrenched at the top of the state’s political ladder and
presiding over events and development of the small town of Tambunan and
the wider district of Keningau for some 40 years, the man who wears
several hats – as parliamentarian, state representative, deputy chief
minister, state minister, paramount chief and party leader – announced
he wants another five years at the top.
But in assuring his supporters last week of his intention to contest
both the Keningau parliamentary and Tambunan state seats in the coming
election one more time, Pairin has also indirectly reaffirmed Joseph and
Sampson’s contention that his party is nothing without him at the helm.
That is indeed troubling news for party members, many of whom freely
admit they do not have a leg to stand on if Pairin does not speak up for
them whenever an election comes around.
The truth is that PBS leaders below Pairin lack both the grassroots
support and charisma to bring in the votes for either the party or the
ruling coalition on their own.
With their 72-year-old leader quashing talk of early retirement, they
now have another five years to prepare for his retirement which he said
would take place by the 14th general election.
‘I am ready to contest’
The once-revered Sabah leader is the state’s long-serving
assemblyman. He has been the Tambunan state assemblyman since 1976 when
he first won the seat for Berjaya at age 36 and won the Keningau
parliamentary seat 10 years later in 1986. He has retained them ever
since.
Amid fears that both his party and the ruling coalition may see
support drop substantially in the coming election, the huguan siou
remained haughty and patronising at the same time.
“How do they know? You should quote what I said also … that I am
ready to contest,” he said, referring to the various online news reports
quoting party insiders as saying that he would step aside in the larger
Keningau seat, which covers three state constituencies, and only
contest the Tambunan state assembly seat in the coming election.
But Pairin did not deny he was worried about a possible negative
impact on morale within PBS if he withdrew from the state political
scene.
“I will retire, but not for this election. What I have planned and
what I’ve discussed with my colleagues, is to contest this coming
general election but not in the election after that. I want to retire in
the 14th general election. I hope those people concerned will be
happy,” he was quoted as saying over the weekend.
When put on the spot by a reporter to confirm if he would be
defending his parliamentary and state seats, he replied with a broad
smile: “It looks like it!”
His remarks about himself and his future may have attracted publicity
to the ruling coalition leaders’ tendency to ignore the more complex
issues facing Sabah.
It’s a strategy that might swiftly turn more voters off apart from
infuriating Sabahans, who already feel they have been marginalised.
What the Josephs and Sampsons in the interior want from their “huguan
siou” is to talk more about basic topics such as state rights, the
loosening of economic restrictions, improved governance and education
reforms, to name a few.
These are the topics that are crying out for immediate attention, not his plans for his future.
Kita pasti yakin yang mana masih ramai pihak yang akan terus menyokong Datuk Pairin di Keningau.
ReplyDeletePairin akan terus mendapat sokongan.
DeleteFor me Datuk Pairin is the local leaders with his stand and try the best to help Sabahan.
ReplyDeletePenyokong Datuk Pairin masih banyak di Keningau dan sentiasa akan menyokong beliau.
ReplyDeletepenyokong Pairin bukan saja di keningau, tapi jg di kawasan lain.
DeleteJasa Datuk Pairin akan sentiasa di ingati.
ReplyDeleteDatuk Pairin akan sentiasa menaikkn nama baik KDM.
ReplyDeletedia byk memperjuangkan nasib KDM.
Deletekalau pairin bertanding lawan adiknya, confirm pairin tetap menang.. jangan pandang rendah dengan pegaruh pairin..
ReplyDeletewalau apapun keputusan yang dibuat oleh pairin, hormat saja la.. jika beliau berhasrat mahu memberikan laluan kepada muka baru, itulah langkah terbaik sebagai pemimpin yang bertanggungjawab..
ReplyDeleteKalau tiada yang lama, tiada yang baru. Pairin tidak akan kekal dalam arena politik dan sampai masa beliau akan bersara juga.
DeletePemimpin sebenar tidak takut dan akan terus berjuang untuk rakyat. Good luck Pairin!
ReplyDeleteUsaha Pairin tidak sia-sia, bekalan air bersih di negeri ini dijangka akan bertambah baik dalam tempoh 5 tahun akan datang dengan penyiapan dan pelaksanaan projek-projek sedia ada
ReplyDeleteProjek2 kerajaan menyaluran bekalan air bersih melalui paip utama dan paip graviti di kawasan luar bandar juga kini semakin meningkat.
DeleteKawasan yang belum mendapat bekalan air bersih akan dimasukkan dalam perancangan akan datang dan dalam masa 5 tahun akan datang banyak lagi masalah bekalan air akan diselesaikan
Deletekawasan-kawasan lain, kerajaan negeri dan kerajaan persekutuan memang sentiasa prihatin terhadap masalah kemudahan asas rakyat, yang mana kerajaan persekutuan memberikan banyak peruntukan untuk pembangunan negeri ini
DeleteSince the BN coalition took over the reign of power in the State, the Federal government has been pouring in funds for the development purposes.
ReplyDelete