EIGHT Sabah division heads of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) have issued a strongly worded joint statement insisting that accountability for Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) heavy defeat in the 17th Sabah general election lies entirely with PN Sabah Chairman Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee and PN Election Director Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin—not with PN Chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
They said both men were directly responsible for preparing, strategising and managing PN’s campaign machinery for the poll, and therefore must answer for the coalition’s performance.
Their statement came after an unexpected episode at the state Bersatu office, where candidates and division chiefs were summoned by the Sabah Leadership Body (BPN) Secretary, Yunus Nordin, purportedly to present post-mortem reports.
“For your information, yesterday the line-up of candidates and Division Chiefs were summoned by the Secretary of the Sabah Leadership Body (BPN), Yunus Nordin, to the state Bersatu Office to present their post-election (post-mortem) reports.
“However, upon arrival, they were asked to sign a document urging Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to resign—something entirely unrelated to the original purpose of the meeting and highly unethical,” the statement said.
The eight leaders stressed that Yunus’ comments made during his media briefing did not represent them.
“They reiterated that responsibility for PN’s electoral preparations and decisions rested with the state chairman and the election director. “The PN Sabah Chairman and the Election Director are the parties responsible for all preparations, strategies and decisions for the Sabah state election,” they said.
They added that these leaders must present their post-mortem findings to Bersatu’s Supreme Leadership Council (MPT) and respond to any issues raised, including those raised by individuals during the contentious press conference.
They argued that those who managed the election at the state level must explain PN’s performance to grassroots members rather than shifting blame to others who were not directly involved in managing the state election.
The statement further criticised Yunus for acting prematurely. “His decision to hold a press conference to point fingers before the report was completed is inappropriate and damages the party’s credibility,” they said, describing his actions as irresponsible and a breach of party discipline.
“Yunus, who is also a member of the Supreme Leadership Council (MPT), holding a press conference without consultation and without waiting for the full post-mortem report, is a form of irresponsibility and a violation of party discipline.”
They urged Bersatu and PN Sabah’s leadership to accept responsibility for the coalition’s PRN17 performance with integrity.
“We urge the Bersatu and PN Sabah leadership to assume responsibility for PN’s performance in PRN17 with full integrity and not politicise the matter. They should not make any party a target to cover up their own weaknesses.”
The joint statement was issued by the division heads of Lahad Datu (Ahmad Ali Akbar Khan Gulan), Kota Belud (Jupri Omar), Papar (Faizal Julaili), Kalabakan (Ekbal Khalid), Ranau (Abidin Sahat), Kimanis (Amat Yusof), Kinabatangan (Mazmin Mazin) and Sipitang (Ramli Ag Said). - December 5, 2025
