The meeting, held in a private session, provided an opportunity for Pairin to personally congratulate the candidates on their selection and to discuss the responsibilities that come with representing the party, which is one of the components within Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

Pairin, the Huguan Siou (paramount leader of the Kadazandusun-Murut community), emphasised the importance of local leadership, noting that the future of Sabah lies in the hands of those who know and care for the state.

“As an adviser, I wanted to meet and congratulate them for being chosen as candidates,” he said.

“We must not betray the trust placed in us by the voters, especially the youth.

“Their future is our future. Those who should protect it are the locals. Voters must understand that our future must be safeguarded,” he added.

PBS, one of Sabah’s oldest political parties, was founded by Pairin in 1985.

He served as Sabah chief minister from 1985 to 1994, was the Keningau MP from 1986 to 2018, and led PBS for 33 years before stepping down in 2018.