Keep GRS intact despite federal rift, says Sabah Umno Youth

 

Sabah Umno Youth chief Abdul Aziz Julkarnain alleges that PPBM had rewarded independent assemblymen with positions in government agencies.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno Youth wants the party to keep the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government intact despite the widening rift between PPBM and Umno in the peninsula.

Youth chief Abdul Aziz Julkarnain urged members of the autonomous Sabah Umno to respect the people’s mandate regardless of what had happened across the sea “but only as long as PPBM does not betray us again”.

Aziz said Sabah Umno had been magnanimous despite PPBM, which spearheads the GRS government, rewarding independent assemblymen who contested against Barisan Nasional candidates in last year’s state election.

“I believe the Umno Supreme Council (in deciding to sever ties with PPBM in the next general election) had considered the level of sincerity and honesty of PPBM, which was disappointing after appointing these independent elected representatives to important and strategic posts in the state.

“I’d like to ask what kind of sincerity and honesty is this?

“We chose to forgive despite being betrayed because we promised the people to save this state from all that was done by the Warisan-Pakatan Harapan government,” he said in a Facebook post today.

Aziz’s statement comes after questions surfaced on whether GRS would remain intact following the rift between PPBM and Umno at the federal level.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had sent a letter to prime minister and PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin saying Umno would not cooperate with the party in GE15 and that it would only work with the government until Parliament is dissolved.

The Umno Supreme Council had previously said it would finalise its decision on the party’s cooperation with PPBM at its annual general assembly, which has been set for March 27 and 28, after being postponed twice.

Last night, PPBM secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin said the letter from Zahid had serious implications on the future of the cooperation between both parties as well as on the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.

Aziz said he agreed with the Umno Supreme Council’s decision, which he believed was taken after consideration was given to the sentiments of the grassroots, as well as concerns over PPBM’s attempts to “weaken” Umno.

However, he urged Sabah Umno members to be steadfast and strengthen the GRS government.

“For a start, the GRS government must focus on delivering one by one the promises made under the ‘AkuJanji’ state election manifesto. There are not many, only 79,” he said.

He said the people wanted a speedy economic revival and political stability. - FMT