KOTA KINABALU – Sabah Umno will not betray its allies in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and hopes that the same stand is held other coalition members, said Sabah Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
Bung Moktar, who is also Sabah deputy chief minister, said it was important because the cooperation had enabled GRS to form the state government, and Sabah Umno would continue to work to strengthen the matrimony.
“The guarantee (of being with GRS allies) is always there, this depends on the sincerity of all of us, Umno is indeed sincere, we will not betray our friends and we also ask our friends not to betray us, no matter who our friends are.
“This concept of togetherness (means that) decisions taken must be together ... our resilience is still strong,” he said at a press conference after chairing the Sabah Umno Liaison Committee meeting, here, today.
GRS, which comprises a combination of Perikatan Nasional (PN), Barisan Nasional (BN) and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), formed the state government after gaining a simple majority of 38 seats in the September 26 Sabah state elections.
Asked about the speculation that the political situation in Perak would spread to the state, Bung Moktar said the situation faced by Umno in Perak should not be equated with Umno in Sabah because each had its own political sentiments.
“We in Sabah have our own sentiments, we prioritise the interests of the people, what is important is that we expect the leaders in Sabah to understand each other, meaning we cannot be divided,” he said.
Yesterday, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu who is also the Bersatu deputy president lost a vote of confidence in the state’s assembly, including among Umno State Assemblymen.
Meanwhile, Bung Moktar said Sabah Umno had decided not to contest in the Bugaya state by-election scheduled for January 16 following the death of its incumbent, the late Datin Manis Muka Mohd Darah from Warisan.
“There are several factors for this decision, among them, in the last Sabah state election Umno did not contest in the area. Sabah UMNO supports if there is an emergency in Bugaya like in Batu Sapi to protect the people from being infected with Covid-19,” he said. – Bernama, December 5, 2020.
