PCS president Wilfred Bumburing said his party had established common ground with the Sabah chapter of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) component party during a recent meeting with its chief coordinator, Hajiji Noor.
“We discussed, among others, the direction of the Sabah government,” he told FMT.
He said both he and Hajiji were concerned about food security, with Sabah’s food production presently hovering at just above 25%.
Noting that agriculture is the main industry for Sabah, he said it is the government’s job to ensure food security in the state.
“I am deeply troubled because I don’t know where the government’s focus is. It is neither here nor there. Agriculture is Sabah’s best hope, yet the chief minister did not even attend the state-level Farmers, Breeders and Fishermen’s Day,” he said.
Bumburing added that PCS and Sabah PPBM are on the same page on the issue of illegal immigrants in the state, saying any move to grant them citizenship on a “random” basis would be an assault on Sabah’s sovereignty.
Likewise, he said, PCS has agreed to work with Sabah PPBM towards the full implementation of Sabah’s rights under MA63.
“Both Sabah PPBM and PCS understood each other, and we pledged to work together for the sake of Sabah’s future,” he said.
Bumburing acknowledged the mixed reactions to the attendance of PCS leaders at the launch of Sabah PPBM on April 6 but said they had come to the event at Hajiji’s invitation.
He said the party had wanted a new government to take over from Barisan Nasional (BN), adding that it would support the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration despite several setbacks including the non-implementation of some pledges in the PH manifesto.
“PCS believes that the PH government’s efforts to implement change have been handicapped by the dire financial situation inherited from the BN government,” he said.
“PCS takes the stand that the biggest gain by the people from the PH government is the new sense of freedom and justice. Though it is not yet on par with Western democracies, efforts are being made towards this.”