I regret taking PBS out of Barisan then, says Pairin

(The Star) – Parti Bersatu Sabah president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan regrets taking the party out of Barisan Nasional on the eve of the 1990 general election.

However, he wants history to be judge of the controversial decision that saw the PBS state government collapse to an Umno-led Sabah Barisan in 1994.

PBS returned to the coalition in 2002.

“There are reasons why I have regretted the pullout but I don’t want to discuss it,” Pairin said in his first statement on the issue.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had cited the pullout as the reason for Umno’s entry into Sabah in his memoirs A Doctor in the House.

The former prime minister’s recollection of events leading to the pullout has stirred debate over whose decision it was to pull PBS out of Barisan.

One of Pairin’s lieutenants Datuk Radin Malleh blamed former party stalwarts Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Datuk Yong Teck Lee and Datuk Tham Nyip Shen as the men responsible for the decision.

Dompok is now Upko president while Yong is SAPP chief.

Among others, Dr Mahathir wrote that Pairin had lost the opportunity to develop Sabah and that he had to bring Umno into Sabah, although the policy then was not to undermine pro-Barisan indigenous parties in Sabah and Sarawak.

Pairin said leaving Barisan was a collective decision which had the support of the people of Sabah.

“We all agreed to the pullout,” said Pairin, who is now Deputy Chief Minister and state Infrastructure Minister.

PBS had previously joined Barisan in 1985, following their victory over the now-defunct Berjaya party, in the state election.