Pairin: I’m not retiring as PBS president

KOTA KINABALU, Aug 23 (The Star) -- Parti Bersatu Sabah president Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan has quashed talk about him stepping down, saying that he will continue to lead the party.

Making the pledge at his 69th birthday bash on Friday, the Kadazan-dusun Huguan Siou (paramount leader) said he had not thought of retirement.

Instead, he declared that he was all set to defend the position he has held since 1985.

“If I am nominated (for president), I will readily accept and if there is an election, we will let the delegates decide,” said Pairin, whose party earlier this week made a surprise offer to his politically “estranged” younger brother Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan to rejoin PBS.

Birthday boy: Pairin and his wife Datin Genevieve Kitingan cutting the birthday cake in Kota Kinabalu on Friday night. With them are PBS deputy president Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili (third from right) and other party leaders.

The offer by PBS vice-president Herbert Timbun Lagadan – a Pairin loyalist – sparked off speculation that Pairin might be thinking of retirement after nearly 35 years in politics, including a stint as chief minister when he led a fledgling PBS to topple the Berjaya state government in 1985.

Dr Jeffrey, who has quit PBS twice and is currently PKR vice-president, told reporters on Friday that he had no plans to return to his brother’s party.

“I think this offer is just to create a rift within (Sabah) PKR,” Dr Jeffrey told reporters at a party function attended by PKR supreme council member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim here.

The offer by PBS comes at a time when Dr Jeffrey is reportedly unhappy over recent moves which saw him being removed as Sabah PKR deputy chairman.

“We would like a Sabahan to lead the party here. We are working towards that. It is just temporary and we have not been put aside,” Dr Jeffrey said when asked about the changes within the state PKR line-up.

Dr Jeffrey said PBS should instead consider joining Pakatan Rakyat as the Barisan had failed to resolve core issues like the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah.

“I will have a brother-to-brother talk with him and ask him to join Pakatan,” added Dr Jeffrey, whose initial attempt in 2005 to rejoin PBS was rejected.

He later joined PKR after other Barisan parties refused to accept him as well.