FORMER Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Youth chief Jake Nointin led 1,119 others to join Parti Warisan Sabah, saying PBS leadership had failed to defend the rights of Sabahans.

He said leaders such as acting president Maximus Ongkili were only focused on self-interest, defending their position and not offending other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties.

“Many PBS members are unhappy and it could be a matter of time before the oldest party in Sabah leaves BN.

“Maximus recently told the youth wing if we were to use our own flag, we would garner more votes from Sabah,” said Nointin, during a Warisan meet-the-people programme in Keningau today.

Also present were Warisan president Shafie Apdal, deputy president Darrel Leiking, vice presidents Junz Wong and Peter Anthony and other top leaders of the party.

PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan is passing the leadership baton to his deputy Maximus, who is also the federal energy, green technology and water minister.

Nointin who left PBS on September 22, also said one of this unhappiness towards BN was the appointment of Pairin as the chairman of the Technical Committee on Illegal Immigrants.

He said it was a trap set for Pairin by the coalition as the federal government had no interest in solving the issue.

Nointin believed only Warisan would be able to demand the special rights of the state as enshrined under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

He hoped the party can call for the review of the oil royalty rights, citing that federal should pay 10% first and more after the review is completed.

Among others, Nointin demanded special identity cards for Sabah, more developmental budget, improvement of the schools’ infrastructure and the abolishment of the communal title system.

Close to 5,000 residents from Keningau and the nearby districts attended the event.

Around 250 Sabah Solidarity Tanah Airku (Sabah Star) from the Bingkor constituency and 1,500 Umno members from the Keningau division also handed their membership forms to Warisan. – November 19, 2017.