KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), which had fielded certain candidates in both state and Parliamentary seats at the last elections, is undecided if it will continue to take this stand or limit candidates to contest in only one seat.
Party chief Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan said the PBS had still not made up its mind on the matter, as many of its candidates had been both state assemblymen and MPs at the same time in the past.
“We will decide on this when the time comes. At the moment it is still too early to say anything about this matter,” said Pairin, who holds both the Tambunan state and Keningau parliamentary seats.
Other PBS leaders holding both state and parliamentary seats are Pairin’s party deputies Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili (Tandek state and Bandau parliamentary) and Dr Yee Moh Chai (Api-Api state and Tanjung Aru parliamentary).
The PBS left the Barisan in 1990 and had contested in elections as a Barisan opponent ever since. However, the party has been readmitted into the coalition and would now contest under the Barisan banner at the coming polls.
The elected representatives from other Barisan parties in Sabah – Umno, United Pasok Kadazanmurut Organisation (Upko), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) – are holding only one seat, either as an assemblyman or an MP.
Sabah Chief Minister and state Umno chief Datuk Musa Aman had said recently that his party would restrict candidates to either just a state or parliamentary seat.
He said party leaders Datuk Salleh Said, Datuk Osu Sukam and Datuk Amir Kahar Mustapha, who now hold both state and parliamentary seats, would only be chosen for one if they are again fielded at the next polls.
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