Sabah strongman Joseph Pairin Kitingan has put Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) on notice that it will have to double its membership in the 25th party congress next year.

It's a key aspect of the party's drive to remain relevant, said the party president in his long-ranging policy speech at the on-going 24th PBS congress.

The party's current membership strength is not known. It has previously claimed to have at least 100,000 members.

Pairin's formula to increase membership: each member to recruit at least one new member under a campaign called 1PBS 2010 .

He said the drive would be the litmus test of whether the party can continue to be relevant.

"We are fortunate to reach our 24th year which is the age at which most people get their first degree," said Pairin in spelling out the prospects for the party.

"We are more fortunate than most (in Sabah) where many (political parties) have been rejected by the people and overthrown and now forgotten."

landslide bkt antarabangsa nescafe Earlier, he unfurled the party's flag against a colourful advertising backdrop of Swiss giant Nescafe, which seems to have jumped onto the prime minister's 1Malaysia bandwagon. It now bills itself as 1Now 1Nescafe .

Pairin said the party has seen more than its fair share of joy and sorrow, tests of loyalty, betrayals, and displays of extraordinary resilience and strength.

Hence, a dramatic increase in the party's membership was the only way to get closer to the people.

"If ever a gulf opens up between the party and the people and continues widening, we are history. We will be isolated and forgotten," warned Pairin. "The people must be convinced that our struggle is the struggle of the people."

He reiterated that the party was committed to democracy and a vision of a progressive Sabah that is harmonious and united. Elsewhere, the party is committed to the autonomy of Sabah, human rights and justice for all.

He also said PBS is committed to honoring the special privileges for Bumiputeras while safeguarding the legitimate interests of other communities and the preservation of the various cultures, customs, traditions and freedom of worship and religion.

Impassioned speech

The ageing PBS leader, who like other ‘over-stayers' in Malaysia shows no signs of stepping down, belaboured the point that the party had nothing to be ashamed about under his leadership. It is a tried and tested machinery which has proven itself time and again and can be trusted, he said.

He suggested that the membership and leaders familiarise themselves with information technology and make greater use of blogs, alternative media, Facebook, Twitter and other interactive mechanisms to socialise and bridge the communication gap.

"There is a lot of misinformation that needs to be corrected," said Pairin. "Deliberate lies are also being spread to undermine the party's struggle. We need to counter this trend calculated to destroy the party."

He cautioned that the party faces considerable odds in the political theatre. Among others, he listed the appalling poverty rates, poor educational standards, the menace of illegal immigration and spiraling number of street children.

The federal government has, he said, on its part pledged to aid the Sabah Economic Corridor, finance the Agropolitan project in Bangi, and has drawn up a poverty eradication programme for the state's Bengkoka peninsula and Pitas, the most economically depressed area in Malaysia.

Pairin did not mince on his words when he charged that there were people in Sabah taking advantage of the presence of the illegal immigrants for their various nefarious deeds.

This includes, the PBS leader said, entering illegal immigrants on the electoral rolls, with or without genuine MyKads . All PBS members would be provided with special party identity cards late next year. The ICs would function like MyKads, for all practical purposes.

God was not forgotten in the PBS leader's policy address. "No matter how we plan, we need God on our side," said Pairin. "Without divine intervention, we cannot hope to succeed."

NONE The PBS leader's policy address this year has been a remarkable departure from the usual run-of-the-mill speeches that dotted previous meets.

There was an added urgency following the emergence of the Common Interest Group, an ad hoc movement dedicated to Sabahan rights.

The CIG is helmed by Jeffrey Gapari (right) , the younger Kitingan in politics. Jeffrey has a standing invitation to re-join PBS following his resignation as PKR vice-president.

The CIG has drawn considerable support from PBS members who fear that their party made have made too many compromises and deviated from its original struggle.