KOTA KINABALU – Barisan Nasional (BN) and the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition have started a peace process with the attendance of several Umno leaders at the launch of the Gagasan Rakyat party today.
Sabah Barisan Nasional deputy chairman Datuk Yakub Khan was among them, and so was Umno’s Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, who is currently facing the party’s disciplinary board for earlier going against the Sabah Umno leadership.
Yakub, who was state science, technology and innovation minister in the previous GRS-BN government, said his attendance at the launch was aimed at forging closer ties with GRS.
“Discussions on the peace process have started and look very good,” he said when met at the launch of the Gagasan Rakyat today.
Yakub said he had been assigned by BN to initiate talks with GRS. A secretariat has also been established to oversee the process.
Gagasan Rakyat’s president is Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who is also GRS chairman.
In early January, Sabah BN withdrew support from Hajiji and GRS, threatening to collapse the state government. Only Shahelmey and four other assemblymen did not go along with BN’s move.
Hajiji managed to garner enough support of assemblymen and held a cabinet reshuffle, axeing Sabah BN lawmakers who had withdrawn their support.
After Sabah BN failed to topple the GRS-led state government, BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced a “cooling-off period”.
When asked about the position of Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin who led the botched coup, Yakub said he remains as the state BN chairman.
Meanwhile, Shahelmey, who is Tanjong Keramat assemblyman and Putatan MP, said he was invited to attend the Gagasan Rakyat launch today.
On his disciplinary process, he said he had met the board, which would be giving its recommendations to the Umno Supreme Council for a decision, Shahelmey said.
He added that he is not defending his position as the Umno Putatan division chief in the ongoing party election.
Other Sabah Umno assemblymen who had faced disciplinary action were Datuk James Ratib (Sugut), Datuk Jasnih Daya (Pantai Dalit) and Datuk Hamild @ Hamid Awang (Balung), but they have quit Umno to join Gagasan Rakyat. – The Vibes, March 2, 2023
