Not possible for PBS to withdraw from contesting all seats, Pairin tells Hamzah

(Malaysiakini) – It is not possible for PBS to withdraw from contesting in any of the 22 state seats in the state polls, said party’s premier adviser, Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

This came after Perikatan Nasional (PN) secretary-general Hamzah Zainuddin said the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) had reached a consensus not to compete against each other in 17 seats that saw clashes among the allies.

Utusan Malaysia quoted Hamzah as saying that GRS would announce the sole candidate they have chosen for respective seats by tomorrow.

“We are not pulling out. There is no possibility for us to withdraw from the polls. This is because our candidates have been accepted (by the Election Commission) using our party symbol,” said Pairin.

“If we want to withdraw we could have done it before the nomination,” Pairin told the media at a campaign event in Kiulu, which was won by PBS since its establishment in 1985.

Pairin, the founder of PBS, appeared unfazed on the possibility of other parties or allies refusing to cooperate with his party.

“From now on, we will continue the struggle on our own. Anyone wants to become our friend, we can be friends, especially with the federal government.

“However, we want to create a party on its own for the people, particularly the young generation,” he added.

On the eve of the nomination, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had attempted to resolve the seat clashes between BN, PN and PBS. However, the GRS parties ended up competing in 17 seats.

Meanwhile, Pairin, who is on the campaign trail for the party, said he is confident that PBS will win most, if not all, the 22 seats it will contest.