KOTA KINABALU: Kadamaian in the Kota Belud district will always be a state seat that Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) is looking at, says Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.
"Kadamaian will always be in PBS’ radar as a potential seat it could win," the PBS information chief said when officiating Kadamaian PBS’ annual general meeting on Friday (Aug 22).
Attended by over 300 delegates and observers, he said PBS continued to stay relevant in Kadamaian due to the consistent and hard work of its members led by Demis Rumanti.
Kadamaian was under PBS’s Datuk Herbert Timbun Lagadan from 1999-2013 and then Ukoh Jeremmy Malajad of PKR (2013-2018).
Currently, Kadamaian is helmed by ally member party Upko’s Datuk Ewon Benedick.
Earlier in his speech, Bangkuai called out state Opposition parties Warisan and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) for being political hypocrites for their past inclination to work with Umno to overthrow Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor in 2023.
He said while these two parties campaigned on "Sabah for Sabahans, No to Peninsula-based Parties", Warisan ran straight to Umno when the opportunity struck.
He said that if the power-grab had gone through, Sabah would have seen a government led by Umno, possibly dictated by Kuala Lumpur, and not a Sabah-based party or coalition.
This is a stark contrast to the current state government led by the strong and stable local Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, said Bangkuai.
“You cannot say one thing and do the opposite when it suits you. They sold a narrative to the people, but when power was at stake, they were ready to abandon it,” he added.
He said another clear proof of Parti Warisan and KDM's hypocrisy is their support for Umno's decision, through the Federal Rural and Regional Development Ministry, to "bulldoze" the establishment of Jawatankuasa Desa Madani (JKDM) in villages in Sabah.
Bangkuai said the GRS-led state government vehemently opposed the JKDM, describing it as a "divide and rule" tactic, considering that each village already had the Jawatankuasa Keselamatan dan Kemajuan Kampung (JKKK).
The Kiulu assemblyman noted that Pakatan Harapan (Pakatan) recognised GRS’ position and opted to work with the Hajiji-led local coalition in the interest of political stability in the state.
He described GRS’ approach as striking a balance between strategic federal cooperation and maintaining local leadership, allowing Sabah to secure development support while keeping decision-making firmly in the state’s hands.
Bangkuai urged PBS members and GRS supporters to stay united and focused as the next state election approaches, which analysts expect could happen next month.
He reaffirmed that GRS will continue prioritising Sabah’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) while working closely with federal partners to bring investments, infrastructure, and opportunities to the state.
