Unhappy with Anwar’s choice, Matunggong rep quits Sabah PKR post

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — Sabah PKR vice-chairman Datuk Jelani Hamdan confirmed today that he has quit his post, saying he could no longer work with party leaders.

The Matunggong state lawmaker also said he will ultimately leave the state opposition party as well, but stopped short of stating if he was hopping over to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN).

“I can’t work with present chair of Sabah PKR, it started with the appointment of the opposition chief, he was not elected, [there was] no consensus especially from PKR,” he told The Malay Mail Online when contacted, referring to Sabah PKR chief Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin.

“There is an agreement between the majority of the YBs that deputy chairman is from Kadazan Rungus but Lajim disregard the understanding and said he will appoint somebody else who is not from the majority of those represented in PKR,” he added.

Jelani said he submitted an application to be a PKR member on July 7, 2010 but had never received a response.

Despite that, he was appointed as vice-chairman on September 14 this year.

“Part of Lajim is very careless, maybe he didn’t even check the membership, maybe he’s not familiar with PKR because he just joined two days after election,” he said.

When asked if he is considering joining another party, he said he has yet to “come to that state”.

This is the second defection from Sabah PK in less than a week.

Kadamaian assemblyman Jeremy Malajad had earlier announced his departure from Sabah PKR to become a Barisan Nasional-friendly independent state assemblyman.

Malajad is the second opposition assemblyman to go the way of a BN-friendly independent.

The first to do so was Luyang assemblyman and former Sabah DAP chief Dr Hiew King Cheu, who resigned as state party adviser after it was long speculated that he was going to leave the party.

Malajad and Jailani said to have been unhappy over the lack of representation of the KadazanDusun-Murut at the state’s top leadership.

Party insiders who were contacted by The Malay Mail Online confirmed that the issue had long been brewing in PKR’s state leadership.

Today, when asked how he thinks his departure would affect the party, Jelani said, “I’m not sure and I don’t care because it will definitely affect the party”.

“I specifically told Anwar that the appointment of Lajim is a big mistake, a lot discontentment in Sabah PKR, a lot of unhappiness, if you look at the way, his style in Sabah PKR, it totally shouldn’t be that way,” he said.