Bosi acknowledged meeting Upko acting president Wilfred Madius Tangau and his party’s secretary-general Donald Mojuntin.
“That was when I was partyless, after leaving DAP. I met many other leaders from the BN ranks and the opposition.
“It was also a crucial moment for me as I needed to position myself and realign my political struggle.”
He said he discussed with Tangau and Mojuntin his political future. This was long before the setting up of Parti Anak Negeri (PAN), which he eventually joined.
Bosi said he also did not make demands such as insisting that he defend the Kepayan seat if he joined Upko.
“I had not made up my mind about anything then, so how can I make any demand? Besides, who am I to insist on anything at all? I am just a small fish.
“I do distinctly remember telling them that Upko would have been an attractive option if it ditched BN. This must have been like pouring cold water on them,” Bosi added.
He said he eventually signed up with PAN as he had always advocated native rights.
“I realised this was the party for me after learning of its aims and objectives. Its line-up also had so many new credible leaders, including Henrynus Amin, Dr Paul Porodong and Thomas Tsen.”
Tangau told an Upko gathering at Kampung Madsiang in Penampang on Sunday that Bosi could not make any demands if he wanted to join Upko, such as insisting that he be fielded in Kepayan again.
The Upko leader said Kepayan was considered an MCA seat and the BN candidate should be from that party.
He said Bosi would also have to bring all his supporters into Upko if he wanted to join the party.
Bosi won Kepayan with a 7,287-vote majority in a four-cornered fight in the last general election, defeating BN incumbent Edward Khoo.
He secured 13,020 votes compared with Khoo’s 5,733 votes. Chong Pit Fah of SAPP obtained 2,030 votes while Philip Among of STAR had to settle for 720 votes.
The Kepayan constituency, with 32,000 voters, comprises 48% Chinese, 41% non-Muslim Bumiputeras and 8% Muslim Bumiputeras.
Meanwhile, Bosi also questioned Tangau’s confidence in Upko being able to retake Penampang that was now in the hands of opposition Parti Warisan Sabah.
He said while more than half of Penampang’s 51,000 voters were BN members, this did not automatically translate into ballots for the ruling coalition.
The 2013 polls saw incumbent Penampang MP Bernard Dompok, the then Upko president, being defeated by newcomer Darell Leiking, who won the seat on a PKR ticket.
Darrel took Penampang with a 10,216-vote majority by securing 22,598 votes against Dompok’s 12,382 votes while STAR’s Melania Annol received 1,119 votes in the three-cornered contest.
Similarly, the Moyog state seat, that is part of the Penampang parliamentary constituency, saw Upko’s Philip Lasimbang being defeated by political novice Terrence Siambun, who also won the seat on a PKR ticket.
The Moyog seat went to Siambun after he secured a 1,682-vote majority by obtaining 7,462 votes while Lasimbang received 5,780 votes.
Completing the four-cornered contest were STAR’s Bernard Lawrence Solibun, who obtained 603 votes, and Danim Siap of SAPP, who got 779 votes.