Jornah quits PBS, citing loss of confidence

PENAMPANG: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) elected supreme council member Jornah Mozihim yesterday announced her resignation from the party.

Loss of confidence in the top leadership of PBS was the main reason for the drastic move by the former Matunggong assemblywoman who won the state seat in the 2004 election.

She claimed PBS deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili was controlling the party, while PBS president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan was just a ‘Yes Man’ to him (Maximus), to the detriment of the party.

In Kota Marudu, Jornah claimed, Maximus employed his tactic of divide and rule to maintain his position.

“Tan Sri (Pairin) does not even feel sorry that I was again listed as the candidate for N4 (Matunggong) but again dropped due to Maximus’ demand. In 2008, he at least felt sorry that he dropped me because of the pressure from Maximus who even threatened to withdraw from contesting if I were the candidate for N4,” she claimed.

“This time around, he (Maximus) threatened the president (Pairin) that he would resign if the president went ahead to appoint me as Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate,” she said in a press conference at her residence in Bundusan here yesterday.

According to Jornah, she was confident of standing in Matunggong because Pairin personally told her that her name was the only name submitted by Pairin to BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“It was on the first State Kaamatan meeting on March 13, 2013 when Tan Sri (Pairin) told me that I was to stand in Matunggong.

“I know I can deliver Matunggong to BN because my strong grassroots told me that they would not vote for BN if I was not the candidate. I love PBS but this is too much for me,” she said.

During the press conference yesterday, Jornah also claimed the people in Matunggong had expressed their feeling towards the incumbent assemblyman, Sarapin Magana.

In 2008, Sarapin was a new guy and the people did not know him well. They just voted for him because of PBS. After five years, I have heard more of dislikes and this is going to effect PBS.

"I doubt he can win Matunggong because he is the one who ‘created’ an opposition movement there,” she claimed.
“I am also disappointed with Maximus when he asked me to challenge him for the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat. Is he telling me that he has more supporters than I have?

"If that is the case, let us see during this 13th general election. He does not even know that his popularity is dropping,” she added.

Jornah was confident that there would be two possibilities for Maximus’ seat in Kota Marudu.

Either he would lose in this upcoming election, or he would win with a reduced majority, she said.
With her resignation letter submitted to Pairin on April 18, Jornah would not be a PBS member anymore and her post as elected supreme council member would be relinquished.

She also quit all her five posts in KadazanDusun Cultural Association (KDCA), namely nominated vice president of KDCA, nominated organizer of Matunggong KDCA, secretary of Koisaan Berhad, KDCA Women Bureau chief and 2013 state-level Unduk Ngadau committee chairperson, which she had held since 2006.

She expected there would be more surprises in Kota Marudu today, after the nomination.