8 Special Report S UND AY, JULY 1 6 , 2 0 2 3

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COMMENT& ANALYSIS S UND AY, JULY 1 6 , 2 0 2 3
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florescence
that is way
above the
foliage.
The challenges to a Star-PBS merger
Raymond Tombung sentiments for the sake of political

T
HE overture by Star president and
first deputy chief minister Datuk
Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan
for a merger between the Sabah Tana-
hairku (Star) party and Parti Bersatu
Sabah (PBS) reflects one of Star’s slogan,
“Unity is Duty”, a demonstration of his
ultraistic motive for a larger and
stronger Momogun-based political en-
tity.
An Knowing Dr Jeffrey’s farsightedness
upcoming in- through decades of association (since
florescence our struggle in the now-defunct
that is Angkatan Keadilan Rakyat or Akar), I be-
mileage.
So can the two biggest Momogun
parties agree on a merger now? Can old
wounds, or to borrow Henrynus’ word,
deep hatred and distrust, be healed and
set aside?
The response from PBS leaders on the
proposal ranged from none to luke-
warm. PBS’ supremo, Tan Sri Pairin and
president Datuk Maximus Ongkili are
keeping mum, while his deputy Datuk
Joachim Gunsalam, who is also a deputy Jeffrey Maximus Joachim Joniston Henrynus
chief minister, said there is no rush to go
into it as it is “only a proposal” and “the

A large star-shaped inflorescence in white and pink.

surrounded
by hairy
petioles.
lieve his proposal for a merger comes
with a willingness to compromise, pos-
sibly even with the unstated openness to
party is prepared to continue working
with Sabah Star under the Gabungan
Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition umbrella
Ghapur known for speaking out
negotiation on his position as party led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Datuk Teddy Chin

T Striking leafy star calatheas

HERE are many flowers that are natu-
rally gifted with the shape of a star.
Some may have pointed tips at the
end of the petals, while others may have
rounded or slightly rounded shapes. And
yet there are flower petals that are elon-
gated and slim in shape, with others having
wavy, curvy or undulating petals which add
value in the form of attractive and alluring
features to draw attention and action.
All these are geared towards creating
mechanisms of survival of the species,
where flower shapes, forms and colours
play a vital role in ensuring that they attract
sufficient pollinating or dispersal agents.
These represent good tidings for those who
cultivate them as well as for those who don’t
such as looters and wild life including mon-
keys, birds, baboons, bees and a long list of
other insects and four and two-leggeds.
The real shapes of flower petals are quite
limited, that is, they are either long or short,
round or thin, wavy or undulating, frilled or
without frills at the edges, and so on. This is
terms. The latter sounds familiar as local
pronunciations may push out equivalents
such as capati which is a popular snack all
over Malaysia. This is helpful as it makes re-
calling the name of the plant an easy job.
Star calatheas belong to the family
Marantaceae with the Calathea genus hav-
even the large towns around Sabah. This
view may be proven wrong but as at today,
nothing of the sort is visible anywhere
within the city, with a lot more areas still re-
maining in wait mode.
Perhaps DBKK, with its large entourage
of very hardworking and extremely skilful
and knowledgeable experts that handle the
landscaping of the city, should seriously
consider adding more variations to the stale
and same-old-same-old façade. This is not
to say that new varieties must be added
every six months or even yearly, but suffice
it to say that a couple of new varieties added
to the picture every few years should make
for a very much more lively and colourful
rejuvenation. And rejuvenation and reinvig-
oration are what the landscape of KK City
mally expect to derive benefits from the
plants. At the end of the day, the cultivation
of commercial crops, and its subsequent ac-
tivity chain, means to enrich life.
Similarly, the cultivation of ornamental
plants also enriches life by value-adding to
and uplifting the monotony of daily living.
Plants like bonsais, fragrant, colourful or at-
tractive flowers, graceful leafy palms and
shapely ornamentals, make for waking up
very early in the morning a worthwhile
daily effort which is made no more a daily
struggle to wobble out of bed.
In its natural form, calatheas prefer a
lightly shaded to low light conditions. It is
also tolerant of indoor conditions especially
when the application of water is at a mini-
mal to sustain the plant without rotting
Although the leaves of star calathea are
less colourful, nevertheless, its rich green
with lightly coloured midribs constitute
positive attractive values to the plant. But
the most striking botanical segment of the
plant lies in the long inflorescences that are
often of appreciable sizes, height and
colour. It is normal for such inflorescences
to stand head and shoulders above the fo-
liage by a margin of 10-20cm which is why
they are always visible even from afar.
These inflorescences are borne on tall
vertical spikes each bearing numerous long,
slim pink-coloured bracts that overlap and
wrap around each other in the early stages
of formation. Hidden between the bracts
can be found the small flowers which are in-
significant and not prominent. This is simi-
president.
In this case, however, a noble offer
will be met with various challenges,
some of which may be insurmountable.
It will not be an easy process like the
merger of Pasok Momogun and the
United National Kadazan Organisation
(Unko) into the United Pasok Kadazan
Organisation (Upko) in 1964, which was
agreed to by GS Sundang with condi-
tions, eventhough it was bitterly op-
posed to by his brother Sedomon
Gunsanad (later Datuk Seri Panglima,
awarded posthumously in 2016).
This merger was achieved by an
arrangement for a co-presidency by
Donald Stephens and Sundang.
We can take lessons from failed at-
tempts at mergers between parties after
that.
The Upko and PBRS very serious effort
to merge in 2004 almost succeeded but
Noor.”
Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, the PBS in-
formation chief was more positive, say-
ing “fusion of PBS and STAR could
symbolise a strategic transformation.
The key consideration is unity and
that it can potentially reinforce the GRS
state coalition” but cautioned the
process to merger will face many diffi-
culties, citing seat distribution and can-
didate selection will be key for any
political merger to work but stressed
any move that could promote unity and
strengthen GRS deserved support.
In fact the whole idea of merging two
political parties is a complex process
and replete with various challenges and
issues.
The two parties have similar ideolo-
gies, the name of the merged entity can
be Star Bersatu, and both have logos
with the handshake which can be easily
SABAH recently lost one of her most illus-
trious sons – the late Datuk Seri Panglima
Abdul Ghapur Salleh, former Deputy
Chief Minister/Member of
Parliament/State Assemblyman. He was
80. Almost half-a-century ago, the then
young Ghapur was an Assistant District
Officer (ADO) in Tawau, I think. He was
roped in by the late Tun Fuad Stephens
and Tan Sri Harris Salleh as the Berjaya
candidate for Merotai in Tawau in the
1976 State general election. He lost to an
Usno candidate.
Soon after the election, Harris made
Ghapur Berjaya’s executive secretary at its
headquarters, then housed at the Sin-
suran Complex. Harris had by then taken
over from Tun Fuad who died in an air
Hajiji paying his last respects at Ghapur’s grave. Inset: Ghapur
crash barely two months after Berjaya’s
victory. out against Najib’s statement. Another
It was an open secret that Harris liked Sabah Umno leader who also made noise
Ghapur, so much so that the latter was over Najib’s statement was Datuk Seri

C C
almost the same as human beings since ing about 300 species of evergreen peren- ultimately failed for several reasons. combined into one. dubbed the former’s “Blue-Eyed Boy”. Panglima Masidi Manjun.
need. away the rhizomes. Regular rotation of the lar in some ways to the inflorescences found For one, a senior leader in Upko was But the real challenge will be the Anybody who hoped to be a Berjaya can- Never mind their exact words, but
there are also people who are long or short, nial plants with some bearing high

M
Benefits of cultivating star calatheas plant especially if it is placed near a light on flowering Costus speciosus plants.

M
round or pole-like, undulating and shapely, ornamental and landscape value. A few vari- peeved at the idea of being relegated to arrangement of the new leadership didate or receive other benefits would not something like “Ya, Fixed Deposit, but if
Every plant, irrespective of whether they source may allow it to maintain its leaf The pink bracts of star calathea are the
and so on. Such physical variations in life eties have food value where the larger rhi- a junior position in the proposed lineup. want to offend Ghapur. we can find higher interest somewhere

Y
are the cultivated and domesticated ones, or stalks in an erect position thus enhancing structures that contribute to the beauty of

Y
forms allow for a more interesting and zomes are extracted and a starch obtained merged entity. As Dr Jeffrey had mentioned, who will In the 1981 State election, Ghapur was else?” in an obvious reference to Anwar
those still in the jungles out there, confers and maintaining its attractiveness. the inflorescence and thus its demand. As
lively world without the same, boring mo- from them. So after months of negotiations with be the president? fielded again in Merotai. This time he Ibrahim’s PH (Pakatan Harapan) which

K K
notony.
While many star-shaped flowers are
small in size that usually measure 2-5cm in
diameter, some ornamental plants are able
to bear truly large star flowers that often
reach 8-10 cm in diameter.
One such variety is known as Calathea
loeseneri. This is an evergreen, shrubby rhi-
zomatous perennial herbaceous ornamen-
tal that can achieve heights of 100-150cm
when grown on enriched planting beds
under partially shaded conditins.
The plant is also called Star Calathea,
Brazilian Calathea or Capathea in common
A potted star calathea with plenty of
broad leaves that bear whitish to pale
Native to Central and tropical and sub-
tropical South America, including countries
such as Brazil, Ecuador, Columbia and Peru,
the plant has since spread all over the world
because of its beautiful evergreen foliage
and strikingly eye-catching inflorescences.
And, coupled with its hardiness, the plant is
worthy of its categorisation as a tough
perennial evergreen. These are the assets
that attract plant lovers who are in the
know to own and cultivate them.
But, as much as the relevance of the plant
is to gardens and landscapes, unfortunately,
it is not used in the city landscapes of KK, or
benefits to the grower and the environ-
ment. It is well known that plants comprise
a layer of green cover that protects the earth
from desertification and other ravages of
nature.
In fact, in some countries, there are
desert greening projects that successfully
cover up millions of hectares of dry arid
lands with trees and shrubs, which consti-
tute a sort of record in human history. Such
recovered lands may be used for some eco-
nomic purposes on a balanced basis to en-
sure not only productivity, but also
sustainability.
With cultivated varieties, growers nor-
Within the genus of Calathea, there are
numerous varieties of leafy herbaceous
perennials whose foliage are the outstand-
ing feature that attracts attention. These in-
clude various kinds of shades and colours,
stripes and blotches and sizes and shapes of
the leaves.
Even the midribs and veins that are
spread out over the laminae, often have
variations in colour such as pink, white,
purple, dark or light green etc. All the leaves
are borne on tall, long and stiff hairy peti-
oles which allow the plants to maximise on
dim light situations such as along bal-
conies, or under tall trees or palms, etc.
the inflorescence advances in growth, more
bracts open up with the mature ones nearly
levelling out to form the characteristic star-
shaped inflorescence. With several large
clusters planted in a bed, the sight of large
numbers of inflorescences that stand up
above the foliage to form a layer of pink is
simply too good to miss.
The thickened underground roots of the
plant are made up of rhizomes that are use-
ful propagative materials. Rhizomes of
some varieties are edible where they are
used as raw materials for the extraction of
starch. These are used in some indigenous
communities in smoothening dishes or
thickening of soups and gravy.
As propagative materials, the rhizomes
are dug from established clumps and then
divided into several portions. Each of these
may be used to start new spot planting or
cluster development. Pulling out plantlets
from mature clumps is not advisable as the
roots are very well developed and firmly set.
Applying force in this way may only result
in breaking the rhizomes and their shoots.
The easiest and most practical way to
propagate star calatheas is by dividing or
splitting up a mature clump of plants into
four to six portions and them planting
them in separate locations or suitable pots.
This is also the most rewarding method
to have good results in the garden. The
pieces of leftovers or broken-off rhizomes
may be picked up and then nurtured into
beautiful adult plants that are set in nice
pots for display either indoors or along the
balcony. If there are extras to spare, it may
be a good idea to give a pot or two to
friends, relatives or neighbours. This is sure
the late Tan Sri Herman Luping chairing
the negotiation committee, the effort
was abandoned.
Then in 2017 there was a “Tataba Ini-
tiative” effort by Parti Kerjasama Anak
Negeri (Anak Negeri) to merge his party
with Upko and PBRS.
The failure of this attempt was ex-
plained by Anak Negeri’s president,
Datuk Henrynus Amin, who claimed
that “a small group of powerful Parti
Bersatu Sabah (PBS) leaders conspired
to sabotage the Tataba initiative to unite
and merge the party with Upko and
PBRS prior to GE13.
The initiative which was originally in-
tended to strengthen the Momogun
voice within Barisan Nasional fell
through as a result of the conspiracy by
these PBS leaders with deep hatred and
distrust of Upko and PBRS.”
The Star-PBS merger proposal is not
new; it first came into discussion in
2020, but not much of a serious negoti-
ation because the initial outcome was
dissatisfaction on the Star’s side due to
what it claims to be an unfair list of de-
mands by PBS who then possibly saw it-
self as having a superior political
position.
And in 2021, the two parties’ cold war
continued to put them at odds when
PBS’ expressed willingness to collabo-
rate with opposition Warisan.
The president of PBS, Dr Maximus,
had also criticized Dr Jeffrey for the lat-
The identity of the personality at the
top will be critical in the maximization
of the new party’s influence.
Pairin will still be the presidential ad-
visor, but who will be the president and
from which party?
Consideration between Dr Jeffrey and
Dr Maximus Ongkili would give an ad-
vantage to the former for being a parlia-
mentarian, an assemblyman, the first
deputy chief minister – and also the
brother of Pairin.
But selection of a president in such a
case is most often resolved by politics,
not by logic.
What is reasonable to the top leader-
ship may likely be seen unacceptable to
the lower rank leaders, who at their
level, would also have their own rivalries
and clashes.
Power struggles would arise as mem-
bers of both parties seek to maintain or
gain influence within the merged entity,
with some worried about being com-
promised or have fear of losing their in-
fluence.
Balancing the power dynamics and
ensuring fair representation can be
complex and would lead to internal
strifes.
These any a myriad of questions will
arise in the merger negotiations to make
the whole process vexatious and painful.
Other related sub-issues not currently
anticipated are likely to surface.
Certainly, the overriding motivation
won. I am not sure if he held any govern-
ment post after that but whatever it is he
was somebody not to be messed around
with in Berjaya. Ghapur was one of the
only six Berjaya candidates who survived
the PBS onslaught in the 1985 election.
Soon after that, he and two other Berjaya
YBs threw their weight behind PBS led by
Tan Sri Joseph Pairin.
In late October of 1985, there was a
State Legislative Assembly sitting. The PBS
government tabled a Bill to make it com-
pulsory for the Governor to appoint as
Chief Minister the leader of the party with
the most seats. It was to amend the State
Constitution and required a two-thirds
majority. PBS had done its homework. To-
gether with the three YBs who jumped
from Berjaya, they would have the re-
quired two-thirds.
However, when the Assembly met and
the Bill was about to be tabled, there was
one Berjaya absentee. In other words, one
short of the required two-thirds. That ab-
sentee was Ghapur. That caused the Bill to
be withdrawn at the last minute, a slap in
the face.
Chief Minister Pairin said he had not
received word on why Ghapur was absent.
Neither was Ghapur in contact with the
State leadership prior to the Assembly sit-
ting.
Ghapur’s absence immediately gave
rise to all sorts of speculations. One was
that he was not satisfied with what he was
getting from PBS, if any.
Another version had it that his de-
as I can recall, Ghapur never offered any
explanation.
When Ghapur died, Pairin was gra-
cious enough to place a quarter-page
Condolence message in the Daily Express.
Ghapur sat out the 1986 State snap polls,
making way for an Usno candidate. He
did the same in 1991.
However, in 1994 Ghapur made a
comeback in Merotai. Partly because the
former Usno rep was now contesting
under the PBS banner. Usno under the
leadership of Datu Amir Kahar Tun
Mustapha had formed a coalition with
PBS and its candidates contested under
the PBS banner. Ghapur won. Two
months after the 1994 election, the PBS
government collapsed due to defections.
Ghapur was made Communication and
Works Minister or commonly known as
the JKR Minister.
After Datuk Seri Panglima Salleh Said
Keruak became Chief Minister early 1995,
Ghapur became Deputy Chief Minister as
well while holding on to his portfolio.
When Salleh relinquished his Finance
portfolio after becoming CM for some
time, Ghapur became the new Finance
Minister.
When Salleh stepped down as CM
mid-1996, he was replaced by Datuk Seri
Panglima Yong Teck Lee. It was while serv-
ing in Yong’s Cabinet that Ghapur re-
signed as Finance Minister, in 1997 I think.
Again, Ghapur’s resignation sparked all
sorts of speculations which I would rather
did well in the 2008 election.
In fact, PH did so well that it forced Pak
Lah to abolish the post of Parliamentary
Secretary (Setiausaha Parliamen) which is
junior to the Deputy Minister.
Opposition MPs had expressed unhap-
piness in the past that some of their ques-
tions in Parliament were answered only
by SU Parliament, not even Deputy Minis-
ter, let alone Minister.
For the record, after Najib became PM
in 2009, Anifah was made a full Cabinet
Minister (Foreign). The KL boys finally got
the message and stopped taking East
Malaysian MPs for granted.
By the way, in both the 2004 and 2008
MP election in Kalabakan, Ghapur won
uncontested. That was a record of sorts
and it proved his popularity so that his
would-be challengers would think twice.
However in 2018, Ghapur failed to de-
fend Kalabakan, losing to a Warisan can-
didate. But this was the year that the tide
was against BN all over Malaysia.
BN even lost the federal government
for the first time in 60 years. So what do
you expect?
In the latest MP election in 2022, Gha-
pur finally called it a day and passed the
baton to his daughter, Noraini who con-
tested under the PH/PKR ticket.
PKR president Anwar was in
Tawau/Kalabakan to campaign for her.
Ghapur was of course present, alongside
Datuk Christina Liew, PKR’s candidate for
Tawau.
Although the Chinese-educated No-

Turning our homes into space of joy

green midribs. The plants in this pot
can be split into at least six divisions
for separate planting.
Dr T. Selva
HOME is where we find protection, comfort,
peace and happiness. Our dwelling space
can be a supreme source of joy if we occupy
them and treat them respectfully.
Vasthu Sastra stresses that the quality of
our surroundings directly influences our
well-being, energy levels, and overall suc-
cess in life.
A well-organised and clutter-free living
space promotes the smooth flow of energy,
positively affecting our physical, mental,
and emotional state.
By arranging furniture, decorations, and
the five elements (ether, earth, fire, water
and air) in a balanced way, we can optimise
the energy flow and create a harmonious
environment.
Each element represents a different in-
fluence on life. When they are balanced,
they support a sense of equilibrium and
harmony in our living environment, con-
tributing to our overall goodness.
During my recent visit to Chennai, India,
I was moved by how homes there strictly
follow a daily regime to invite peaceful en-
ergies into their private space by doing sim-
ple activities.
Here are several steps why they give ut-
most importance to their living space which
holds significant value in Vasthu Sastra.
l Make your bedroom: When you
wake up, make your bed and do not leave
your space in disorder. This is the day’s first
A young plant that has been freshly
transplanted into a polybag.
task; get it right, or your day can kick off
badly.
Your bedroom is regarded as the crown
of the property and must be well-kept and
fit for the king and queen of the abode. Per-
fecting your space can improve relation-
ships, sleep quality, and happiness.
Compromising your private enclosure
can have adverse effects like ill health, dis-
turbed moods, growth and an unappealing
place to rest.
l Tidy your bed: Do not leave your wet
bath towels on your bed. Hang them, clear
the rubbish basket, and organise the bed so
you feel welcome to return to sleep again.
You may want to regularly change the bed
sheet and pillowcase to infuse new energy.
Your dressing table must be rearranged
neatly before leaving the bedroom.
Although it may sound trivial, an untidy
bedroom can disturb sleep, cause uneasi-
ness and affect your harmony.
l Meal together: Even if you cannot
Star calathea flowers that are carried
between the pink bracts at
the lower level.
have meals together due to work daily, en-
sure you have at least a meal later in the day
with your spouse and family.
It allows everyone to come together, en-
gage in meaningful conversations, and
strengthen the emotional ties within the
family unit.
Weekends should be devoted to family
togetherness and activities that involve the
whole family.
l Family bonding: To strengthen fam-
ily unity and grounding, families are urged
to perform spiritual practice jointly and at
the start of the day.
Besides participating in the ritual, family
members play a role by cleaning the altar or
improving their sacred space as a family unit.
This allows all family members to recon-
nect deeply and satisfactorily because the
power of devotion unifies and rejuvenates
them with hope.
l Joint activities: Family members are
invited to participate in an act like decorat-
ing the wall or gardening so that the area
symbolises togetherness. A supportive
teamwork culture can help you confidently
align your goals and aspirations.
l Strengthen closeness: To rekindle
fond memories and reinforce the family
connection, dwellers are inspired to hang
photographs of their happy moments on
the walls and display or wear gifts by their
loved ones.
Such symbols, which bring to mind the
Star flowers are not prominent as
they are hidden between the bracts.
Make your bedroom before you leave or your day can kick off badly.
good times, can erase misunderstandings
and ease any difficulties in a relationship.
l Chillax: Create a cosy space in your
house, and it can be your living room, patio,
garden, or a designated ground that attracts
all family members to gather and relax.
Such an area allows family members to
have small talks, which may be unimpor-
tant, but they can have an impactful under-
standing of what they experience daily
when they leave home.
Sitting together without distractions al-
lows family members to share their
thoughts, experiences, and daily happen-
ings.
This quality time promotes active listen-
ing, understanding, and empathy. It helps
family members build better relationships,
resolve conflicts, and stay connected with
to result in broad smiling faces and other
warm friendly gestures, back slapping and
sound bonding.
each other’s lives.
For change to take place, it requires dis-
cipline, commitment and time. Also, it must
be done consistently to achieve the desired
results.
Don’t expect miracles to surface the next
day when you make changes because every-
thing necessary in life consumes time.
Remember, a pleasing environment pro-
motes a positive mindset, reduces stress,
and enhances focus and productivity.
n Award-winning author Dr T. Selva is a
speaker and the author of the bestseller book
Vasthu Sastra Guide and Secrets of Happy
Living. To get a copy, contact 019-2728464.
He can be reached
at drtselvas@gmail.com Facebook: Vasthu
Sastra and Website: www.vasthusastra.com
ter’s proposal for a new Federal Consti- among party leaders will be self-interest
tution to resolve the status of Sabah and and not so much for the general good of
Sarawak in the Malaysian federation, the Momogun future in the political
chiding Dr Jeffrey to not stir the people’s chessboard of Sabah and Malaysia.
Expect more promises, betrayals of trust
Selvarajah Somiah
ALL politicians make promises. How does the Malaysian
voter decide who to trust? For anyone, selling trust is the
hardest thing to do.
Brands and companies go to a great extent to sell us trust:
easy return policy, 5 years warranty, on-site service, and so on.
Across the world, the people who find it hardest to sell
trust are politicians.
In developing countries like Malaysia struggling hard to
escape the middle-income trap, the aspirations of voters
don’t match how much money is going around in the econ-
omy.
As Malaysia missed the manufacturing bus in the 1980s,
politicians have no choice but to sell dreams and promise
welfare benefits to alleviate the economic stress on families.
Question is, if all election candidates are promising free-
bies, jobs, cash transfers, and free education up to university,
how does the voter decide whom to trust? One way to sell
trust is to make the promises tangible and finite.
We often hear politicians sell trust by insisting this will be
the first decision of their Cabinet, as soon as they come into
power. Some give deadlines and dates.
Sadly for them, none of this seems to have any guaranteed
impact on winning over trust.
Yet the greatest act of trust is prior achievement. If you
have demonstrated some ability in the past, voters are willing
to trust you for the next 5 years.
This is why it is important for politicians to show a trajec-
tory of their work to voters, like the building of a CV.
The best example of this is Tun Dr Mahathir’s 2018 general
election campaign and his chanted mantra, “new Malaysia
mand of being made a Minister was not
fulfilled by Pairin.
Yet another speculation was that he
was somehow still loyal to Berjaya. As far
starting from zero”.
He was saying in his campaign that he had shown as
Malaysia’s Prime Minister for 22 years the ability to deliver
development and governance minus corruption.
This helped him win trust. He had been working on this
for 22 years, creating the image of having achieved some-
thing extraordinary for Malaysia.
Dr Mahathir had carefully crafted his CV to show voters
his qualifications for the Prime Minister’s job a second time.
He made it, although only 22 months.
And then came the 15th General Election (GE15) last No-
vember, Dr Mahathir’s party was wiped out and even he lost
his election deposit as well, in the Langkawi constituency, his
first electoral defeat in 53 years.
He lost the people’s trust. Now, Dr Mahathir’s new mantra
is, “Malays have lost power.”
The race to promise the moon to voters is getting heated
up in the coming six state elections in Malaya. And in Sabah’s
case, the next state election is not due until 2025, but elec-
tions could happen as early as next year.
The Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) has al-
ready started preparing for the 17th State Election (PRN17),
all 73 divisions of the party asked to prepare and activate
polls machinery to ensure the victory of Gagasan Rakyat and
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
We can expect to see a lot more PR campaigns, and many
new “models of development” emerge in the battle for the
voter’s trust. Somewhere in this contest lies the greatness of
democracy.
n Selvarajah is a blogger and political watcher
not go into here.
Nevertheless, Ghapur served his full
term as Assemblyman until 1999. In 1999,
Ghapur won in the then Kalabakan State
seat, still on an Umno ticket. Kalabakan is
now the name of the MP seat.
In the 2004 nationwide election, Gha-
pur switched to federal politics by con-
testing the Kalabakan MP seat which he
won, also on an Umno ticket. He became
a BN government backbencher in Parlia-
ment.
After the 2008 MP election in which
Ghapur also won and BN lost its two-
thirds majority, PM Pak Lah made Ghapur
a Deputy Minister. Ghapur initially ac-
cepted the appointment although I am
not sure if he actually took his Oath-of-
Office at the Istana.
Ghapur resigned from his Deputy Min-
ister post barely eight days later, again
sparking all sorts of speculations. I am
not sure why he resigned only after a
week.
There were rumours that he was not
happy that Pak Lah only saw him fit to be
a Deputy Minister and not full Minister,
considering that he was Sabah DCM.
But Ghapur was not the only Sabah MP
who turned down Pak Lah’s offer to be
Deputy Minister. Another was Datuk
(now Tan Sri) Anifah Aman who is equally
as outspoken as Ghapur.
Until today, we don’t know the actual
reasons but one theory had it that both
were pissed-off by the statement in Parlia-
ment by then DPM Najib that Sabah was
a “Fixed Deposit” for BN, referring to BN’s
strong showing in the State despite poor
showing in West Malaysia.
Both Ghapur and Anifah had spoken
raini didn’t win, she didn’t lose her de-
posit. She got close to 10,000 votes. For a
newcomer, I would say this was not bad.
Another thing to remember is that No-
raini was up against the might of GRS+
which is the ruling party in Sabah.
GRS+ was represented by Umno’s Andi
Suryady who is already an Assemblyman
and an Assistant Minister and therefore
had an edge over Noraini.
Also, at that time PH/PKR was in the
Opposite and the PM at that time (Ismail)
came from Umno.
Recently, PM Anwar rewarded Anifah
substantially by giving him a Senatorship
plus Tan Sriship and Chairman of Labuan
Corporation.
That is on top of Anifah already being
a Special Adviser on Investments to the
Sabah CM cum Chairman of Invest Sabah.
Both Anifah and Ghapur campaigned for
PH/PKR in the 2020 nationwide election.
I would imagine that had it not been
for Ghapur’s health, he too would have
been equally rewarded by Anwar.
Now that Ghapur has left us, I expect
Anwar to reward his daughter Noraini in-
stead. After all, Noraini was the PH/PKR
candidate for Kalabakan.
The question of her qualification does
not arise. She is a graduate from Australia
apart from being fluent in Mandarin and
therefore useful in dealing with Chinese
investors and tourists.
We just wait for the good news. Lastly,
Ghapur’s wife, Datin Seri Norsuadah Hj
Basah was a Nominated Assemblywoman
cum Assistant Minister at the height of
Berjaya’s power. I met Ghapur in his office
in JKR in the mid-1990s. He was approach-
able and helpful.