Bung: Sabah Umno lawmakers to reject Perikatan but only at federal level

KOTA KINABALU, July 8 — Umno’s two MPS in Sabah will withdraw support for Perikatan Nasional but the party’s assemblymen will keep working with the coalition that was also in the state government here, Datuk Bung Moktar Radin said.

The Sabah Umno chairman rejected rumours that the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah ruling coalition would collapse as a result of his party’s supreme council decision last night to stop supporting PN immediately.

“GRS is intact. Sabah Umno will stick with the mandate given by the people,” the Kinabatangan MP said when contacted, adding that the state government remained united and strong.

“There is no need for Sabah Umno to leave GRS. We are functioning well and have the people’s confidence in the economic and state affairs.

“There is no pressure from KL to leave GRS. We are using our autonomy to decide our fate,” he said.

At the federal level, however, Bung said he and Kimanis MP Datuk Mohamad Alamin would comply with the party’s decision to reject PN and demand Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin resign as the prime minister.

“We will abide by the party's decision. If not, we have to leave the party. But in Sabah, we are still in GRS,” he said.

Sabah Umno has 16 seats in the 79-seat state assembly and was part of the GRS government with PN that has 23 seats and Parti Bersatu Sabah with seven seats.

The state chapter of Umno has the autonomy to decide its course of action and Bung said it would stay with chief minister and state PN chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

Last night, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi pushed through on his threat to immediately retract support for the PN government, leaving the ruling coalition vulnerable to collapse if it could not get enough support from other MPs.

Umno ministers and MPs now have to decide whether to stick with the party’s decision or face being sacked if they choose to stay with Muhyiddin.