PBS secretary-general Jahid Jahim said party president Maximus Ongkili had agreed that Silverius Bruno and Peter Jino Allion will stop their campaigning to fully support STAR candidates Jeffrey Kitingan in Tambunan and Robert Tawik in Bingkor.

In return, Jeffrey said, STAR would withdraw two independent candidates linked to the party in Bengkoka (Pransol Tiying) and Api-Api (Marcel Jude).

“We are not technically contesting the seats (Bengkoka and Api-Api) but are linked to these candidates. I have explained to them and they are here today (as a gesture to withdraw),” Jeffrey said.

PBS is fielding its deputy president Yee Moh Chai in Api-Api and Dr Samuil Mupin in Bengkoka.

The candidates from PBS and STAR who are withdrawing signed agreement letters to signal their intention (to withdraw) in front of PN secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin, Jahid and Jeffrey at a hotel here today.

Hamzah said discussions were held with the parties over the past few days to ensure a big victory so they could form the next state government. He thanked the parties, especially the candidates, for making the sacrifice.

“With this agreement, there will be no clashes between PBS and STAR/PN in these four seats.

“We never made any threat or anything like that but they volunteered themselves by signing today. Both parties will support (each other) in each area they pulled out from.

“Hopefully, there are other areas where there will be no clashes between PBS and STAR,” he said, adding they were trying to iron out the four remaining seat clashes between the two parties as well as with other Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) allies.

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