In the November 1999 federal election, PBS only managed 3 parliamentary seats, a far cry from the 8 seats that it won in 1995 and 14 in 1990. The 3 seats were in Bandau (Dr Max), Tanjong Aru (Dr Yee Moh Chai) and Tan Sri Pairin (Keningau). The trio was seen as the Flagship Carrier of PBS.
In 2001, the High Court declared the 1999 Likas election result as null and void due to the presence of phantom voters. The incumbent Assemblyman was former Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee. The PBS candidate who lost, Dr Chong Eng Leong described it as a victory for Sabahans over the phantom voter issue.
Yong, the former PBS Assemblyman for Likas and former Minister, had left PBS just before the 1994 State election to form SAPP.
After BN took over from PBS, Yong was made DCM and eventually CM under the Rotation System.
On 15 Nov 2001, Pairin accompanied by Dr Max met Dr M at Putrajaya and submitted PBS’ application to rejoin BN. The application was approved on 23 January 2002.
As they say in politics there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies. Having been in the Opposition for 12 years is enough, it seems. As the saying goes, “Under the shelter is better than outside, exposed to the elements”.
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Say what you like about the Old Man (Dr M), but I view him as having a Big Heart in accepting PBS back into BN fold. I mean, BN/Umno and SAPP were solidly established in Sabah by then and they had enough seats to form the government without PBS. Dr M could have “killed” PBS. But he didn’t.
PBS’ readmission did not necessarily mean that the party was now part of the State Government with Ministerial posts and all that. However, in 2003 PBS deputy president Dr Max was appointed as Science and Technology Advisor to the Chief Minister Musa Aman. If I am not mistaken, the appointment carried Ministerial status.
In March 2004, the parliamentary and state elections were held together for the first time. PBS, as a component of BN once more, was given 4 MP seats and 13 state constituencies to contest. As expected, PBS won all. The people of Sabah were still with them even though they had returned to BN a second time.
The four PBS MPs were Pairin, Dr Max, Dr Yee and Edmund Chong Ket wah. Pairin, Dr Max and Dr Yee also won as Assemblymen. Those days, PBS still allowed its YBs to do two jobs or, as they say, being a “Double YB”.
The aftermath of the 2004 elections was a turning point for PBS for the better, after being in the political wilderness for a dozen years. Dr Max was appointed a Federal Minister by PM Pak Lah.
Closer home, Pairin himself was appointed DCM by Musa Aman, while Dr Yee was made a Minister. Four PBS Assemblymen were appointed Assistant Ministers. They were Radin Malleh, Jahid Jahim, Edward Yong and Jornah Mozihim.
On July 7, 2008 Pairin was appointed by the PM Pak Lah to be a member of the Eminent Persons Group chaired by former DPM Tun Musa Hitam, the man who saved PBS in 1985.
On 19 Oct 2008, Parliament finally declared Sept 16 as a Malaysia Day national holiday. This was a culmination of what PBS had been fighting for since 1992.
In the national election in March 2008. This was the first time that BN (then Alliance) lost its two-thirds since 1969 which led to the May 13 riots.
Malaysia Day aside, a Sabahan Tan Sri Pandikar Amin was also appointed as Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (Lower House of Parliament), the first Sabahan to do so.
Later on, Tan Sri Anifah Aman became the first Sabahan to become Foreign Minister. Dr Max was also given a full ministerial portfolio rather than just Minister in the PM’s Dept. All these, I think, we have to thank the Malaysian voters for denying BN a two-thirds. Suddenly, Sabah and Sarawak MPs mattered to KL.
Meanwhile, in the joint-MP/State elections on 8 March 2008, PBS failed to maintain its 4 MPs as one of them, Dr Yee lost to PKR’s Christina Liew. Only Pairin, Dr Max and Chong Ket Fah won.
Dr Yee however retained his Api-Api State seat, along with 11 others who included Pairin. PBS lost one State seat to DAP in Sri Tanjong (Tawau), reducing its total tally to 12.
After this election, Dr Max was retained as a Federal Minister while Pairin as DCM and Dr Yee as a Minister. However, 25 March 2011, Musa promoted Dr Yee as a DCM, meaning PBS now had 2 DCMs. Dr Yee replaced LDP’s Datuk Peter Pang who remained a Minister.
In the 13th Malaysian General Election held on 3 May 2013, the number of PBS MPs was back to four. The party won in Kota Marudu (Dr Max), Keningau (Pairin), Batu Sapi (Linda Tsen) and Tawau (Mary Yap Kain Ching).
This means that 2 of the MPs were women. Linda replaced her late husband Edmund Chong who died in a road accident. She had earlier won the ensuing by-election also. Mary Yap was a first timer and a former secondary school principal, after which she was appropriately appointed Deputy Education Minister.
However, the number of PBS Assemblymen was further reduced to 7 from 12 in 2008. Among the casualties were Dr Yee in Api-Api (KK) and Jahid Jahim in Tamparuli. Both lost to PKR led by Anwar.
Pairin was reappointed DCM for a third term, while Melalap Assemblymen Radin Malleh replaced Dr Yee as a Minister.
On 10 Feb 2015, Pairin was appointed Chairman of the RCI Technical Committee on Illegal Immigrants by PM Najib. This was in line with what PBS had been waiting for since years ago – to get rid of illegals.
At the 31st PBS delegates’ conference on 15 Nov 2016, Pairin for the first time indicated his desire to step down as President and let Deputy President Dr Max be the Acting President. On 6 January 2017, Pairin fulfilled his words and passed the baton to Dr Max on an Acting basis.
A year later in Nov 2017 at the 32nd PBS AGM, Pairin reiterated his desire to step down, naming Dr Max as his successor. The PBS founder was 77 by then.
Opening the same AGM, PM and BN chairman Najib said he shared the same sentiment with PBS on the MA63 issue and was looking into ways of how best to implement it. He also assured that no one will be arrested under the ISA for raising the issue.
The 14th General Election in 2018 changed the political landscape of Malaysia, Sabah included. If in 2008 BN lost its two-thirds (which was already a warning sign), this time it lost the government as well.
The PM and BN chairman then was Najib, made famous in the election by the 1MDB scandal, among other issues. But Najib did the honourable thing by stepping down immediately as BN chairman and Umno president.
Pakatan Harapan led by its spiritual leader Dr M won, making him PM a second time, a history in itself. The actual PH leader Anwar was still in jail then.
PH comprised PKR, Bersatu, DAP and Amanah. Warisan from Sabah was given 3 federal minister posts although not being a component of PH officially. There was no PH minister from Sarawak which was ruled by GPS but a DAP MP was given the consolation prize of deputy minister.
Closer home, it was a neck to neck fight between BN and Warisan+. BN had a simple majority. However, Warisan+ (+PKR/DAP), only needed two more Assemblymen to have that simple majority, 31 out of 60 (excluding 6 appointed).
If would have been just nice if the 2 Star Assemblymen threw their weight behind Shafie’s Warisan+. In fact, rumours had it that Shafie was in contact with Jeffrey who later changed his mind.
However, in the nick of time, Upko led by Tangau dumped BN and brought his 4 (or was it 5?) Assemblymen to support Shafie, thus enabling Warisan+ to form the government. The rest is history.
Thus, BN not only lost the Malaysian government but Sabah’s as well. PBS once again found itself to be in the Opposition.
Coming back to the 2018 election, PBS also witnessed its worst election outing. It won only one single parliamentary seat compared to four in 2013 and 6 State seats compared to 12 in 2013.
The sole PBS MP was Dr Max in Kota Marudu. Even then, his majority was very much reduced compared to 2013. Harapan Rakyat candidate Datuk Maijol Mahap, a lawyer and a native of Kota Marudu almost defeated him.
The traditional PBS MP seat of Keningau was lost to Star’s Dr Jeffrey. Even the State seat of Tambunan, which had been the symbolic flagship seat of PBS since 1985, was lost also to Star. For the first time, Pairin lost to his own brother Jeffery.
However, in Tamparuli, Datuk Jahid Jahim had sweet revenge when he defeated Datuk Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing of PCS. The latter had defeated Jahid in 2013 on a PKR ticket.
The other PBS Assemblymen who won in 2018 were Datuk Julita Majingki (Matunngong), Datuk Joniston Bangkuai (Kiulu), Datuk Joachim Gunsalam (Kundasang), Anita Baranting (Tandek) and Abdul Rahman Kongkawang (Labuk).
However, Anita and Abdul Rahman dumped PBS about a year later. Both were not fielded again by PBS in 2020 and their successors won.
By the way, in the short-lived Musa Aman Cabinet of post-2018 election before Upko switched allegiance to Warisan, two PBS Assemblymen were appointed Ministers.
They were Jahid Jahim (Local Government & Housing) and Anita Baranting (Community Development & Consumer Affairs).
Star president Dr Jeffery was appointed Agriculture Minister, albeit for only 48 hours. But as faith would have it, Jeffrey found himself back at the same Ministry 2 years later under GRS government. Jahid also became a Minister although in a different Ministry.
The first instalment of this article appeared on Oct 1. This is the final part.
On 12 May 2018, two days after the election, Pairin announced that PBS was pulling out of BN and started what was to be known as Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS).
On 24 Oct 2018, Pairin was announced as Interim Chairman of GBS, with Dr Max and Sabah Umno chairman Datuk Hajiji Noor, Star president Dr Jeffrey, PBRS president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup and Tan Sri Anifah Aman as deputy chairmen.
As it turned out, GBS would be the precursor to Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) which has ruled Sabah since Oct 2020. GRS now comprises PGRS, PBS, Star, SAPP, Usno, PHRS, and LDP.
On 17 Nov 2018, half-a-year after GE14 and Pairin’s defeat in Tambunan to his own brother, Jeffrey, the Huguan Siou officially handed over to Dr Max, after more than 30 years at the helm.
Dr Max’s team comprised the 3 deputy presidents of Datuk Radin Malleh, Dr Yee and Senator Jamilah Sulaiman. But after some time Jamilah, too, quit PBS to support Warisan.
The new Youth chief was Christopher Mandut and Women chief was Anita Baranting who later also quit.
Secretary-general was Datuk Jahid Jahim with Julita Majungki as his assistant. Treasurer was Datuk Lu Kim Yen with John Masabal as his Assistant. Information chief was Datuk Joniston Bangkuai. Vice-presidents were Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Datuk Daniel Kinsik, and Johnny Mositun for the non-Muslim Bumiputr category.
The Muslim Bumiputra vice-presidents were Datuk Almudin Kaida, Ruslan Muharam and Abdul Rahman Kongkawang.
The Chinese vice-presidents were Datuk Peter Mak, Datuk Linda Tsen, and Dr Joseph Lee.
The supreme council members were Datuk William Majimbun, Datuk Louis Rampas, Fredolin Totin, Suman Yasambun, Stanis Buandi, Samson Gapid, Peter Allion, Demis Rumanti, Awang Gariman, Lin Harun, Francis Lawrence Yusof, Omar Hakim, Mohd Dinn Jamiran, Mursid Mohd Rais, Datuk Balbir Adjan, Goon Thien Shang, Kong Nyuk Thau, Datuk Johnny Goh, Ng Tze Tsai, Edward Yong and Lim Vun Chan.
Two persons were appointed Premier Advisors. They were Tan Sri Joseph Pairin with Datuk Seri Panglima Michael Asang as his deputy.
Panel of Advisors included Datuk Mary Yap, Datuk Zublee Zen, Dr Osman Menudin, Herbert Timbun Lagadan, Datuk James Vitales, Claudius Sundang Alex, Datuk Lawrence Gimbang, Datuk Dr Bernard Maraat, and Thien Fui Yun.
On 12 May 2019, Deputy Wanita Chief Datin Malianah Ugau wife of Jahid was named as the new Chief following the departure of Anita Baranting from the party.
On 9 March 2020, following the appointment of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the new PM, Dr Max was once again appointed a Federal Minister in charge of Sabah and Sarawak Affairs. This was timely as PBS was fighting for MA63.
The 16th Sabah State General Election. Nomination Day on 12 September 2020 saw PBS naming 22 candidates using its own party symbol for the first time after 16 years. However, on polling day on 27 September PBS won only 7 seats, in Matunggong, Tandek, Tamparuli, Kiulu, Lumadan, Kundasang and Telupid.
The GRS Cabinet of Datuk Hajiji Noor in Oct 2020 saw two PBS Assemblymen appointed full Ministers, namely Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam (also DCM) and Datuk Jahid Jahim.
Three PBS Assemblymen were appointed Assistant Ministers. They were Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, Datuk Julita Majungki and Hendrus Anding.
In January 2023, there was a failed coup to unseat Hajiji as CM. Throughout, PBS stood solidly behind Hajiji who survived the coup. In fact, even from Day 1 when Istana had to choose between Hajiji and Bung Moktar to be the new CM, PBS had always been behind Hajiji.
Thus, in the post-coup new Cabinet of Hajiji, Dr Joachim was “promoted” from DCM 3 to DCM 2, after Dr Jeffrey. Jahid remained Rural Development Minister. Julita was ‘promoted’ to be an Assistant Finance Minister.
In the Oct 2022 parliamentary election, PBS’ Lo Su Fui won in Tawau, wresting the seat back from PKR’s Christina Liew. However, PKR is now part of the State Government and Liew is back as Tourism Minister.
Unfortunately, in the same election, Dr Max was defeated for the first time in Kota Marudu by a KDM candidate.
Joniston too was beaten in Tuaran by former Upko president Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau. It was sweet revenge for Tangau as Bangkuai had beaten him in Kiulu state seat in 2020. Bangkuai was then dubbed a Giant Killer as Tangau was a DCM and former Federal Minister.
PBS now seems to be at a crossroads. Dr Max’s loss in the MP election aside, he has also not been in the best of health.
In the recent party delegates’ conference, deputy president Dr Joachim had to read his speech. This has never happened in the more than 30 years of PBS history.
Dr Max had indicated about a year ago that he might step down soon. As to his successor, he did drop a hint when he said that the answer lays in the party election results. He was believed to be referring to the contest for the deputy presidency for the KDM or non-Muslim Bumiputra category.
In that contest, Dr Joachim narrowly defeated Bangkuai who was however appointed Information Chief, his former post before he was promoted to be party secretary-general before the contest.
The new party secretary-general is Julita, Dr Max’s trusted lieutenant. Julita is the first lady PBS Sec-Gen.
Prior to the recent AGM, there were speculations that Dr Max might announce his retirement at the conference. What gave rise to the speculations was partly due to his defeat in Kota Marudu and partly due to his health. But he didn’t.
What added to the intrigue was Pairin’s presence at the event. Yes, there is no law saying that the ex-president cannot be present. He is after all still the Premier Advisor.
Dr Joachim, referring to recent speculations that PBS might merge with Star, said his party was studying the possibility. Political analysts say that after all, Star president Dr Jeffrey has PBS’ DNA in him.
Although Pairin did not give a speech at the AGM as it would be unconventional since he has retired, there is nothing to stop him from speaking to the Press.
Answering reporters’ question, the PBS founder said there was nothing wrong to collaborate with Star for the good of GRS, but merger would require a second thought.
Pairin’s stand is understandable. PBS is his baby. As I said earlier, PBS equals Pairin and Pairin equals PBS. Anything could happen after a merger.
Will a PBS man still be the president? Can PBS still call the shots? Or will PBS end up as a “step child” of Jeffrey. Will the new party still be called PBS? Ot at least will the word Bersatu still be there? All these questions. PBS leaders’ worry is understandable.
Although Pairin has retired and Dr Max has taken over, no right-thinking PBS leader would dare to disregard the view of the Founder President, no matter how many times he has retired.
For any PBS leader to ignore him would be tantamount to a political suicide. Whether one likes it or not, the Huguan Siou is still highly respected in the party and still calls the shots.
What next for PBS? Will Dr Max finally hand over to Dr Joachim as he hinted just before the party election? And if he does, will Pairin agree?
Does Dr Joachim have what it takes to lead PBS? Can he solve party problems? He is a medical doctor by training. He is trained to diagnose the patient’s problems before prescribing medicine. I have full confidence in him.
Just like Pairin and Dr Max, he is soft-spoken, mild-mannered and calm. If you look at the present line-up, what is wrong with him? Why can’t he lead the party. I mean, Pairin and Dr Max can still be his advisors and I am sure Dr Joachim will respect their views.
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