KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has dismissed claims that it wanted to work with Umno in the coming state election.
PBS information chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said that the party had always been clear in its stance on the matter.
"PBS never said we wanted to work with Barisan or merge with anyone. We are committed to strengthening the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition and working with our existing partners in government,” he said.
He was responding to Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who claimed PBS was rejecting an offer that was never made and accused PBS of political irrelevance.
Speaking to the media after the Community-Based Tourism Conference and Expo 2025 here on Saturday (June 28), Bangkuai added that political maturity requires consistency, not flip-flopping positions or stirring unnecessary disputes.
“We trust the rakyat to discern who is genuine and who is acting out of political desperation. Sabahans are not easily swayed by rhetoric. They will evaluate our track record and intentions,” he said.
PBS Youth chief Datuk Christoper Mandut described Bung Moktar’s remarks as “defensive, bitter and riddled with contradictions”.
He clarified that PBS never claimed to have received an official offer from Barisan but was simply stating its firm decision not to collaborate with the coalition ahead of the 17th Sabah state election.
“Whether or not an invitation was extended is beside the point. We are stating our stand, which is our democratic right, not imagining things. It’s called principle,” he said in a statement on Saturday (June 28).
He stressed that PBS remains committed to its founding struggle of defending Sabah’s rights and upholding the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), while continuing to be a constructive partner in the GRS government.
“We have a solid political legacy. We do not need to bring others down to stay relevant,” he said.
He also called for greater maturity in political discourse.
