Flashes of the old PBS (Parti Bersatu Sabah) are emerging as the party looks askance at the ruling Barisan Nasional's (BN) power-sharing formula in the run-up to its annual congress on Nov 7 this year.

PBS deputy president Maximus Jonity Ongkili is leading the charge that the BN lacks transparency and wants the coalition to implement proper guidelines for translating its oft-cited power-sharing formula into genuine practice.

biomalaysia 2008 071008 maximus ongkili This is particularly true at the district and constituency levels, according to Maximus who is also federal Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation ( left ).

"The absence of proper guidelines has resulted in inconsistent approaches in the allocation of funds and appointment of posts at the constituency level," said Maximus on the sidelines of the series of ongoing annual general meetings of PBS Divisions.

"Thus, there have been accusations and murmurs that one single party - Umno - is monopolising the state government," he said.

PBS leaders are particularly livid that they don't have a free hand in making political appointments and deciding on allocation of funds for development within their constituencies.

At the same time, to add insult to injury, members of the party are being excluded from appointments and allocations for development funds in other constituencies represented by other BN component parties.

Maximus wants an urgent re-think on the current approach which he feels is leading to the systematic marginalisation of PBS, the second largest component after Umno, in the BN.

He hopes that bringing BN back to its original platform would further promote the spirit of co-operation and comradeship among the BN component parties and strengthen the coalition as well.

"PBS representatives should have a free hand to decide on appointments to political posts in the districts, including staff in the people's development leader's office, native and village chiefs as well as chairmen of the village and security development committees," said Maximus voicing out the unhappiness at the grassroots level as well.

Trouble in paradise

If there is trouble in paradise, it is with good reasons too.

For starters, there have been concerns over the serious decline in the PBS membership by about half in recent years to a little over 50,000 members. Already, a call has gone out to every member to get a member and help bring the party's strength back to 90,000, and thereafter, double it to 180,000 in time for its 25th anniversary celebrations next year.

Maximus' departure from the "silent approach", long advocated by PBS secretary-general Raden Malleh, also follows calls by various party leaders to re-activate the party's struggle "to ensure that it remained relevant for the future".

PBS vice-president Michael Asang for one, in a thinly-veiled warning in Kemabong last week, said "the struggle of the members would not be complete if it's not based on transparency and perseverance in BN and not just in the party whose members continue to remain loyal".

"The re-entry of PBS into the coalition was sincerely to assist its BN partners to further strengthen the development that has been taking place," said Asang in citing the credentials of PBS for a better deal in the coalition.

"We support the various efforts of the BN government to bring benefits to the people, especially in the eradication of poverty."

Maximus's charges have also struck a chord with other PBS leaders as well. PBS chief information officer Johnny Mositun pointed out that the party, like other components, had put in hard work and commitment during the general election in March last year.

"This (transparent power sharing) is the least we can expect," said Mositun.

PBS Inanam chief Johnny Goh, highlighting the stresses and strains in the BN's power-sharing formula, complains that the Sepanggar BN Division for example hasn't met for the last four years and "this has led to incidents of back-stabbing".

He confessed that he was so worried that the voters in Kokol and Poring-Poring would abandon the BN during the general election last year.

"The Opposition is out to discredit the BN government," acknowledged Goh, the Inanam state assemblyperson, and feels that he's living on borrowed time.

"Thankfully, I managed to get (this time) the majority of the voters in the two areas."

The Sapp episode

Charges of marginalisation among PBS leaders, a rare phenomenon, seem to be a repeat of Sept 17 last year when Sapp (Sabah Peoples Progressive Party) pulled out from the BN.

The party then cited loss of confidence in the ruling coalition's power-sharing formula and the Federal leadership.

Ironically, hardly some days ago, Maximus' uncle and PBS chief Joseph Pairin Kitingan was publicly calling on his younger brother Jeffrey to ditch the opposition and rejoin him to rekindle their political struggle.

Jeffrey is a vice-president in PKR and is also a member of the political bureau at the state level.

The elder Kitingan, in a message carried by PBS vice-president Herbert Timbon Lagadan, had tried to impress upon Jeffrey that he was in fact being sidelined by the PKR leadership and in particular its advisor Anwar Ibrahim "who had no respect for the leaders in Sabah and Sarawak".

Maximus' call for greater transparency and genuine power-sharing in BN is likely to come as sweet music to the opposition in Sabah.

At the very least, it will provide campaign material for their ongoing roadshows.

Sapp, in particular, will take comfort from the fact that its old nemesis PBS does not like what it sees after being awaken rudely from a long slumber by its constant sniping since late last year. Sapp is a breakaway from PBS formed on the eve of the 1994 state election.