PBS can win every seat if members united – Joachim

PENAMPANG (Oct 30): Unity among party members is a main key to win every seat in the State Legislative Assembly, said the acting president of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam.

Thanking all the delegates, who attended the PBS annual congress at the Hongkod Koisaan KDCA Hall, Joachim said this showed that PBS still has strength and relevance.

In his closing speech last night, Joachim also emphasized again PBS’s commitment to work with the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, who is also the chairman of GRS.

“Each section needs to prepare by strengthening party management in their respective areas as well as increasing membership in order to help GRS candidates win,” he said.

PBS will hold a strategic communication workshop to strengthen the party’s management, understand how to attract the people, and convey the aspirations of the party’s struggle, said Joachim, who is also Deputy Chief Minister II.

“This fight is not just for myself, but for the people of Sabah and future generations.”

The split of the party in 1994 has caused financial challenges, but the headquarters is trying to find resources that can help each part, explained Joachim who praised the commitment of PBS members who sacrificed for the party.

Several issues were discussed in the winding up, including unity, the addition of seats, the education system and the need to fight for demands that have not yet been fulfilled in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

Meanwhile on rejuvenating the party, Joachim called on PBS Youth to find ways to attract more youth to join the party and all these initiatives depend on the level of their respective divisions.

Meanwhile, a call for the setting up of a Unit For Other Religions (UNIFOR) in Sabah were among three resolutions passed at the congress yesterday.

The proposed UNIFOR, modelled after a similar unit in Sarawak, has proven effective in supporting the welfare of non-Muslims by providing financial assistance for developing and upgrading their houses of worship.

The motion, put forward by PBS Youth chief Christoper Mandut, was unanimously approved by the delegates.

UNIFOR, as PBS envisions it, would support a more equitable approach for non-Muslim religious groups, helping them worship freely, maintain their places of worship, and address their community needs with structured government backing.

Mandut said the proposal aligns with PBS’s vision for a more united and harmonious Sabah, where all rights and beliefs are valued.

PBS hopes the Sabah government will recognise the importance of this unit and take steps to implement it, following Sarawak’s example in safeguarding religious harmony.

The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah – PH Plus government has over the last two years allocated more than RM60 million annually to non-Muslim bodies.

The other resolutions passed at the congress were on protecting Sabah’s rights over the continental shelf and rejecting the 2012 Territorial Sea Act, and pushing for an immediate allocation of one-third of parliamentary seats to Sabah and Sarawak.