KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) might be facing its toughest challenge yet for the 15th General Election (GE15), with speculation that even its chief Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili (pic) is moving out of Kota Marudu, where he has been an MP since 1995, for Tuaran.
The Tuaran parliamentary seat consists of Tamparuli, Sulaman, Kiulu and Pantai Dalit state seats.
Sulaman is held by Chief Minister and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Maximus will be contesting under the GRS ticket.
He also faces mounting challenges from allies within the GRS component parties and external hurdles.
Among them is Datuk Wetrom Bahanda, formerly with the Sabah chapter of Bersatu.
Wetrom, the Kota Marudu Bersatu division chief, quit the party just days after the GE15 election dates were announced and joined Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM).
KDM president Datuk Peter Anthony has named Wetrom, who is said to command substantial support in Kota Marudu, as the party’s candidate for the seat.
Kota Marudu is traditionally a PBS seat.
As such, there is speculation that Maximus might leave Kota Marudu and contest in Tuaran, one of the three or four seats that GRS has allocated to PBS as part of the seat allocation in the coalition.
Maximus’ elder brother, Datuk James Ongkili, was the Tuaran MP and the Tamparuli assemblyman during the Berjaya administration.
When asked about Maximus’ possible move to Tuaran, PBS deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam said: “We wait,” without indicating whether the PBS president was seriously considering the move.
Universiti Teknologi Mara senior lecturer Tony Paridi Bagang said the move to field Maximus in Tuaran was a strategy to ensure his win.
Bagang noted that Maximus could leverage support due to the Chief Minister’s influence.
“He could also expect votes from the Kadazandusun community, especially from Kiulu and Tamparuli (state seats in Tuaran held by PBS).
“However, the move could spark an issue for Maximus as he is not originally from Tuaran.
“At the same time, it also creates the perception that he is no longer popular in Kota Marudu,” he said.
Externally, there is also a beehive of parties, including newcomers Muda eyeing Kota Marudu.
As for Kota Kinabalu, it is considered a DAP stronghold as PBS has failed to regain the seat since losing it to the Opposition party in GE12.
The Tawau seat, if given to PBS, may represent the party’s best chance of victory compared to the other seats, but it is still uncertain whether it could wrest back the constituency from PKR, which won through Datuk Christina Liew by more than a 4,000 vote-majority in GE14.
