news feature

The Sabah state legislative assembly began a two-day sitting today with an empty opposition bench. This is the first time in the state's recent history that the assembly sits without a single opposition representative.

With the re-admission of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) into the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in January, its seven elected representatives will now join the backbencher row. There is no independent assemblyperson in the current 54-member legislature.

The last time the assembly met with an all-government representation was in the late 1960s during Mustapha Harun's tenure as chief minister. The then 38-member legislature was filled by all Usno representatives.

Assembly Speaker Hassan Alban Sandukong was quoted by national news agency Bernama today as saying that he was prepared to conduct the proceedings in the same manner irrespective of whether there were opposition members or not.

He declined to say who will be sitting beside PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan who was the opposition leader in the last sitting.

Interestingly, Sabah's flamboyant politician Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, seen as the "odd one out" in the state legislature because of his unresolved problems in Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), commented yesterday that "there is a vacancy in the opposition in Sabah".

An option

The New Straits Times quoted him as saying that setting up an opposition party was an option for him if the crisis in PBRS is not resolved soon.

"If the BN leaders are not interested in solving the problem, I will look for another option and I believe that option is in the opposition," he said.

Jeffrey, who is the state assemblyperson for Bingkor, also touched on the fact that political parties in Sabah were only able to hold on to the state government for a period of nine years as proven in the past.

"It is almost time for the completion of the nine-year cycle. Who knows...something may happen when a person is pushed too far.

"If they (BN) are not interested, the people may be interested. There are issues and problems to be raised and there is a vacancy in the opposition," he said.

Jeffrey was elected as PBRS president on Jan 29 while incumbent president Joseph Kurup retained the post in a separate election held a day later.

Jeffrey, the younger brother of former chief minister Joseph Pairin, has a colourful and chequered political career.

At last count, he had joined three political parties — PBS, Akar (now defunct) and PBRS. On record, he had also "hopped in and out" of PBS twice. He also failed to set up his own party in 1994 after the PBS government collapsed.

Jeffrey was also detained under the Internal Security Act in the 80s but years later, managed to get himself appointed as senator and federal deputy minister after getting back in the good books of federal leaders.

With Jeffrey's knack for sudden manoeuvres in Sabah politics, his colleagues in the state assembly would probably not be surprised if the Bingkor representative suddenly decides to sit in the empty opposition bench and declared himself the sole opposition member in the august House.

Francis Siah is a member of the malaysiakini team.