KOTA KINABALU: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia has spread its wings to Sabah, becoming the second largest party in the state government with eight former Sabah Umno assemblymen and one independent joining the party's ranks.

Speaking at the launch on Saturday (April 6), Bersatu chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad promised to work with the Parti Warisan Sabah-led state coalition government of Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

He added that Sabah Bersatu has no intention to grab power, saying that the party was in the state to support and strengthen the existing state government, and allow for a stronger government in Malaysia.

“We need strong, united parties, as well as good cooperation between all parties in the country to make Malaysia a nation that is admired by other countries,” he said during the launching of Bersatu at the ITCC Mall in Penampang.

Dr Mahathir was responding to questions about political talk that Bersatu might be involved with other parties to topple the current state government via defections.

Currently, Warisan has 31 elected state seats in the 60-member assembly, with Sabah DAP at six, PKR at 2 and four for Upko.

The current coalition is set to be boosted to a four-fifths majority in the 60-member house that is left with opposition PBS holding on to five seats, Sabah STAR holding on to three and Umno having one.

Dr Mahathir said that the federal cabinet ministers from Warisan will be maintained, and added that Sabah Bersatu was not asking for any seats.

“We do not want to force anyone to do anything,” he told reporters after the launch of the party.

He said prior to Bersatu’s decision to enter Sabah, it has received numerous requests before GE14 from parties and leaders in Sabah to join Bersatu.

“But we waited as we felt that then was not the right time for us and that it would jeopardise our performance in GE14,” he said.

Dr Mahathir added that Bersatu does not allow for any corruption or abuses of power to happen in the party and said that these practices will not thrive in this new government.

He said Bersatu will not hesitate to kick out any members and leaders who are still with the old Umno mentality of money politics and abuses of power.

On the controversy over the just-tabled proposed constitutional amendment to Article 1 (2) to reinstate Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners in the Federation of Malaysia, he said the amendments will honour the signatories of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

“We will recognise the three regions (West Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak) as the members of the federation,” he said in denying opposition claims that the changes were cosmetic.