PBS charts new course to defend Sabah rights, boost grassroots reach

PENAMPANG (Jan 23): Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) new party direction emphasises on strengthening the struggle to defend the rights of the state of Sabah, streamline its organisational structure and expand grassroots support across various segments of society.

PBS Acting President, Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, said the direction was decided at the first PBS Supreme Council Members’ Meeting (AMT) for the year 2026 today at the PBS Headquarters here.

According to him, PBS will continue to consistently champion the rights and interests of Sabah in line with the aspirations of the people, particularly in improving the quality of healthcare services, access to education, efficiency of public services, and the development of basic infrastructure throughout the state.

“PBS sees an urgent need to ensure that the people of Sabah enjoy better healthcare services, equitable access to education, efficient public services, as well as quality infrastructure facilities such as roads, water supply and electricity,” he said.

In efforts to strengthen the party’s organisation, he said PBS will increase membership and identify active and inactive members in all Divisions through improvements to the party’s digital systems, including the use of PBSOnline and MyPBS.

He said this step is important to ensure that the party machinery remains well-organised, functions effectively, and is prepared to face any political challenges in the future.

In addition, the structure of PBS Youth and Women’s Youth will be enhanced through organisational restructuring and the organisation of more structured, inclusive and high-impact activities to attract greater youth participation.

PBS will also develop the PBS Siswa initiative as a platform to nurture future leaders, including through the organisation of programmes such as leadership camps and character development training.

Meanwhile, Joachim said PBS will continue to strengthen support from the Chinese community through the activation of the Chinese Task Force, in line with PBS’s identity as a multiracial party.

“As a party for all races, PBS is committed to ensuring that all communities in Sabah are represented and actively involved in the party’s struggle,” he said.

He also stressed that the involvement of professionals at the grassroots level will be enhanced to enable their ideas, expertise and strategic views to be directly utilised by the party.

“This direction reflects PBS’s commitment to remain relevant, progressive and close to the people, for a more sustainable and prosperous future for Sabah,” he said.