PENAMPANG:
It would be unrealistic and nonsensical for the Kadazandusun-Murut (KDM) based parties under the Barisan Nasional (BN) to “close shop” to unite the community, said Upko president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok. He said he does not understand the proposition made by Parti Keadilan Rakyat State information chief Dr Edwin Bosie, because “how do you promote unity when everybody’s closed?”. “I think he will be rejected by his party because that was obviously not the premise on which Keadilan was formed,” he said in an interview after attending a reception yesterday to welcome his return to Penampang after serving two terms in Ranau. “I don’t think it is realistic to expect the KDMs to come under a party like Keadilan which is working with PAS, surely not ... it goes without saying that this is a proposition th is close to absurdity,” he said. Earlier on Friday night, Edwin said it is important for the three BN KDM-based parties, namely Upko, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and PBRS, to “close shop” to allow the KDMs to unite as a single community. Edwin, who is contesting against Dompok for the Penampang parliamentary seat, said the presence of the three parties will only perpetuate division of the community, claiming further that it is a ploy to ensure the Federal Government can control Sabah. When asked to comment further on Edwin’s contention of division within the community caused by the three KDM-based parties, Dompok side-stepped the issue, saying that matter will work itself out in due time. “I think we have to allow these things to follow its natural course, eventually things will get right. At the moment, if you look at the composition of the other parties, some of them are purely multi-racial,” he said in an apparent reference to PBS. Dompok noted that Upko’s struggle for the KDM community is not unlike what is being championed by national parties MCA, MIC and Umno which he said represent the Chinese, Indian and Malay communities respectively. “In the same vein, Upko has taken upon its role to represent the views of the bumiputras from the KDM community,” he said. Earlier in his speech at the reception, Dompok said it is a great responsibility for candidates to receive support and assured that Upko’s candidates are “here to serve”. “We are here to carry out the mandate of the people, to ensure that what is promised is carried out and what is planned is implemented. “Our promise is that we will do our work fearlessly, in the true spirit of the responsibility given to us by the people, but this needs your support,” he said. Dompok stressed that the BN coalition has proven its capability in fulfilling its responsibilities to the people of Sabah. “Our manifesto said that there shall be a place for everyone under the Malaysian sun, and this means that we all have the opportunity,” he said. Also present at the event were Moyog State candidate and Upko supreme council member Donald Mojuntin, Kepayan State candidate Datuk Edward Khoo, Penampang Umno chief Datuk John Ambrose Dumpangul, Datuk Clarence Bongkos Malakun and event organisers Jeffrey Ekol and Jackson Boijol.
