KOTA KINABALU, Dec 25 — Datuk Maximus Ongkili today said that political alliance Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS) is ready to move ahead on its own as an Opposition entity should its allies that were formerly in Umno decide to choose a different political path.

The Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president said that the 13 elected representatives who left Umno were unsure of their political future at the moment.

“As I have said over and over again, GBS will continue with or without Umno. Since they have walked out on Umno, I think they are unsure of where they are. They are our political friends, but we cannot afford to wait for them.

“Until we know where they are heading, we will move with STAR (Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku) and PBRS (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah) and continue to carry our responsibilities in the state assembly and Parliament,” he said when speaking to reporters at the PBS Christmas open house here.

Advertisement

Ongkili claimed that the ex-Umno leaders — nine assemblymen, four MPs and 21 division chiefs — were in “a dilemma”.

He said that while they had expressed an intention to join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), they would still have to wait and see what kind of arrangement PPBM and Parti Warisan Sabah will come up with.

“I think they are in a dilemma. Of course, they want to join PPBM; they have already made a public statement. I think the scenario is between the powers here in Sabah — Warisan will need to sort it out with them.

Advertisement

“Now PPBM may not come to Sabah, they may just become direct members. But we are not going to be guided by that, we have to set our own direction.

“We have to be the people’s voice in Parliament and the state assembly, and keep the government in check, while also strengthening our grassroots and preparing for the next election,” he said.

Ongkili added that for the moment, GBS will work with the ex-Umno leaders, while they are still non-government leaning.

“So long as they are independent. We are also independent of both governments. But we are not bothered (by their direction). Let them decide their own destiny; we set our own,” he said.

His statement comes after state Umno leaders left the party en masse earlier this month, claiming they were disillusioned with the current leadership and wanted to chart their own future.

At the time, Umno, PBS, STAR and PBRS along with several independent candidates, who were formerly aligned to the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in Sabah, formed GBS as an alternative government to the current Warisan-led state administration.

Warisan became the government after a contentious fight during the May 9 polls which first saw former Umno chairman Tan Sri Musa Aman sworn in as chief minister before he was edged out two days later by current Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

Warisan with its allies — DAP, PKR and Upko — now make up the state government, while PBS, PBRS, STAR and independent candidates formerly from Umno, Upko and PBRS form the Opposition.