KOTA KINABALU – The promotion of two Umno leaders in the government and outcome of tonight’s Supreme Council meeting could leave the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) at a crossroads, said a political analyst in the Borneo state.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s Lee Kuok Tiung told The Vibes this is due to the link between GRS components and their counterparts at the federal level.
This is especially so for the state Umno chapter and Barisan Nasional ally Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), whose leaders hold positions in both the state and federal governments.
Lee, referring to Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who is also deputy chief minister, and PBRS No. 2 Datuk Arthur Kurup, who is a deputy minister in Putrajaya, said they are now on shaky ground.
He said the same goes for other leaders from BN components and the state Umno who have positions in government agencies and government-linked companies.
“First of all, we need to understand that in Umno, there are already clear factions. A group agrees with president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that all Umno leaders in the federal cabinet should resign, and another group prefers to stay and become Perikatan Nasional-friendly.
“We need to look at the bigger context. If Umno ministers were to resign, or they decide to end cooperation with PN, the matter would affect other component parties like PBRS.”
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has promoted Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as deputy prime minister, while Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein is given “senior minister” status.
The appointments are seen as a pre-emptive move by Muhyiddin to derail the Supreme Council meeting tonight, believed to discuss whether Umno should withdraw its support for PN.
If the situation in the federal government worsens, said Lee, it will put to the test the pact signed by GRS in January.
“Although Sabah Umno has been granted autonomy by the national party headquarters, and therefore, has the freedom to chart its own struggles, the chapter led by Bung Moktar will be in a dilemma if Zahid decides to pull Umno out of PN immediately.”
The situation depends on whether Zahid is able to get enough support from among the party’s MPs to quit the PN government, he said.
He said collecting statutory declarations is no longer a viable choice for the BN lynchpin, as this has proven to fail, and cited the collapse of the Warisan-led Sabah government last year.
Some Umno leaders have established support for Muhyiddin, while others have called for Zahid to step down as president. – The Vibes, July 7, 2021
