PARTI Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PRBS) today rubbished claims its president Joseph Kurup is slowly losing influence as the party have yet to join any political coalition in Sabah.

Information chief Rayner Francis Udong said the party remains united and behind Kurup who recently decided to stay put in Barisan Nasional (BN).

He said Kurup also retained his post in PBRS after securing 100% support from all 36 division chiefs at the recently concluded party elections.

“There is no such thing as Kurup losing support from party members and the supreme council. In practice, every decision in PBRS is done by consensus within the council and by the party’s executive committee,” he said in response to a report by a news portal today.

Such decisions include the direction of the party, which had previously applied to join Pakatan Harapan after the May 9 polls.

The party later decided to stay put in Barisan Nasional on September 30.

Free Malaysia Today earlier reported that Kurup was slowly losing influence and that dissatisfaction had grown among members over Kurup’s decision to bring his son, Arthur, to discuss with the prime minister about the party’s application to join PH.

A source from the party told the portal that Kurup should have consulted the supreme council members first before making the decision himself.

Sabah PH chief Christina Liew had opposed PBRS’ application to join PH, although Dr Mahathir Mohamad was willing to accept the party into the ruling fold.

The yet to be registered Gabungan Bersatu Sabah, which was supposed to replace BN in Sabah, have yet to announce whether PBRS will join the fold.

PBRS won two seats in GE14 through its deputy president Ellron Angin, in the Sook state seat, and Kurup’s son, Arthur, in the Pensiangan federal seat.

Kurup did not contest in the May 9 polls but made way for his son to contest in his seat.

Deputy president Arthur Kurup meanwhile slammed the report, saying the portal appears to be running a gossip column and that “anyone could have come up such accusation”.

“Contrary to what that article said, the entire party is solidly behind our president. This is proven by the fact that he won unopposed after winning 100% support from all divisions throughout Sabah,” he said.

Kurup could not be reached for comments. – October 10, 2018.