SANDAKAN, 23 Jan 2009: Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) leaders were told to stop their quarrel as it could affect team spirit in the Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN).
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Datuk Liew Vui Keong said the quarrel was unhealthy and hence should not be allowed to prolong.
“It should be stopped and resolved in the BN spirit,” he said after a function with community leaders here today.
He was asked to comment on the quarrel between the leaders of the two BN component parties which started after PBS president Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan stated that in the event of a by-election in the Pensiangan parliamentary constituency, the selection of the BN candidate should not be automatic.
To this, PBRS president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup was reported to have said that Pairin’s statement had affected the BN election machinery in Pensiangan.
Kurup won the Pensiangan seat in the last general election on 8 March last year, but the Kota Kinabalu High Court had on last 8 Sept, ruled that Kurup’s win was null and void.
Local newspapers today reported that Kurup challenged Pairin to a debate on the issue.
Liew, who is also Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister, said it would be good if the leaders of the two parties stop making statements on the matter and wait for the outcome of Kurup’s appeal against the court decision.
He also said that it would be good if both leaders could focus on making preparations if there was going to be a by-election in Pensiangan. — Bernama
