KOTA KINABALU, May 21 (Bernama) -- The Sabah and Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) need political innovations to remain as the "fixed deposit" for the coalition, said Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) deputy president Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili.

He said as in the area of technology, the patterns of response to the needs of the people also needed renovation.

"No doubt the grassroots support for the BN, especially in Sabah, is still strong, there are still some weaknesses that need to be rectified.

"People want change in terms of development or the state administration itself and we need to listen to them. If we are receptive to the kind of changes they want and have the political will to change in line with the voice of the people, there will be no problem for BN," he told reporters after flagging off a convoy of vehicles with logo "Malaysia Innovating 2010" at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, here Friday.

Ongkili, who is Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, admitted that the fixed deposit tag for Sabah and Sarawak BN could change with the times, depending on the current political scenario.

"That's why state BN leaders need to aclimatize or imitate the transformation initiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Federal level to ensure the people continue to support," he said.

Asked on the recent statement by Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) deputy president Datuk Chin Su Phin urging federal BN leaders to stop treating Sabah and Sarawak as the BN's "fixed deposit" and claimed that the Sabah BN was having leadership problems, Ongkili said it was uncalled for and the outcome of the Sibu Parlimentary election did not reflect the overall support of the people.

"But still, there is a need for the BN to evaluate and assess the outcome of the Sibu by-election," he said.

LDP is a Sabah BN component party.