When Joseph Pairin Kitingan led his Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) back into the Barisan Nasional fold early this year, it was a severe blow for the opposition in Sabah.

For many years, PBS was the only opposition party in Sabah which was considered a threat to the BN. The others, including national opposition groupings like DAP and Keadilan, were considered non-entities. At least, in the minds of many Sabahans.

In 1990, PBS "betrayed" the BN on the eve of the general election that year by pulling out of the coalition. It joined Gagasan Rakyat, a loose coalition led by (the now defunct) Semangat 46 with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah at its helm.

That was history. That was a chapter in the chequered and rather difficult life of the PBS which members of the party, Pairin in particular, would like to erase from their memory.

Then came the "famous" apology to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad by Pairin as he submitted the application on behalf of his party to rejoin the BN.

Last night, Mahathir's wisdom in re-admitting PBS and Pairin's sincerity in making amends were glaring for all to see.