KOTA KINABALU, Sept 4 ― Ex-Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan has sought the advice of his lawyer to look into a defamation incident involving a Malaysian blogger.
According to Pairin, the blogger has alleged in a video shared online that PBS acquired financial assistance from the Vatican in 1985.
“This allegation is untrue,” said Pairin.
He added that PBS was supported in every way by sympathisers and believers in the struggle of the party.
“PBS was after all inspired and encouraged by the people to go against a regime that was oppressive and suppressive of the people’s wellbeing and democratic rights,” he said to reporters at the Huguan Siou’s office yesterday.
“This was reflected in the Tambunan by-election held on December 30, 1984 whereby the issues then were because of injustice done, unfair treatment, undemocratic policies against religious freedom, and inaction against the entry of illegal immigrants into Sabah,” he said.
He said that the aspirations of the multiracial citizens of Sabah created a new political party called PBS which was officially registered on March 5, 1985.
He said that in a snap election called by the State on April 21, 1985, the party won and formed the government of Sabah.
“Unfortunately, it so happened that the young chief minister who was democratically elected was a Christian and not a Muslim. This did not go down well with Tun Dr Mahathir the prime minister.”
Pairin said that the blogger related in his video presentation of how Dr Mahathir played a pivotal role in toppling the democratically elected PBS government for over a decade until it was forced to resign in March 1994.
What was not correctly reported by the blogger was that PBS was supported by Vatican, said Pairin. ― Borneo Post
