LABUAN – The rank and file of Bersatu’s Labuan division have publicly thrown their weight behind the decision of its divisional chief, Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman, to declare his support to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor.
The move by Suhaili, who is also MP for Labuan, received unanimous support from the divisional committee, as well as youth and women’s wings.
They expressed their belief that supporting the leaders in their posts will pave the way for Labuan’s future development and progress, reported Bernama.
The division’s pronouncement comes even as another Bersatu lawmaker who has declared support for Anwar’s leadership of the country, Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid, the Kuala Kangsar MP, was suspended from the party on Friday.
Bersatu’s disciplinary board decided to suspend Iskandar for four years, including for all posts held in the party, after a meeting held yesterday to study reports brought against him by the Kuala Kangsar division chief for violating the party’s constitution.
The Labuan division members seem unperturbed by this development.
Their deputy chief Hassan Jinin said the decision to give support to Suhaili was reached during a meeting on Tuesday.
The divisional committee, and the youth and women’s wings collectively decided to rally behind Suhaili’s endorsement of Anwar and Hajiji, he said.
He said the action stems from a desire to alleviate the burdens faced by the constituents of Labuan, which is essentially an island constituency off Sabah.
Suhaili has reasoned that the residents have been grappling with the challenges of rising living costs and persistent water and power disruptions.
Hassan said that Suhaili is attempting to bring a more prosperous future for Labuan by aligning with the prime minister and the Sabah chief minister.
Anwar is chairman of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and president of PKR, a rival of Bersatu. Hajiji, who quit Bersatu in December last year, is chairman of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
“It is anticipated that the decision to support the prime minister and Sabah chief minister will yield several advantages for Labuan,” Hassan was quoted as saying by Bernama.
“One significant benefit is the potential for increased government assistance, both from the federal government and the Sabah state government.”
Hassan stressed that Labuan’s economic potential has not gone unnoticed, and the region stands to benefit from additional attention and resources to foster development. The need for more economic activities to stimulate employment opportunities in Labuan is a critical concern.
“With Suhaili’s support for the prime minister and Sabah chief minister, Labuan is poised to receive the attention and investment necessary to bolster economic growth and job creation.
“Labuan residents are hopeful that this decision will translate into tangible improvements in their quality of life and economic opportunities,” he said.
Iskandar had declared his support for Anwar on October 12, while Suhaili did so on October 30.
In making the announcements, both asserted that they maintained their allegiances to Bersatu. – The Vibes, November 5, 2023
