KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — Beaufort MP Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin has confirmed his resignation as Kerambai Kebatu Umno branch chief earlier this month but maintained he was not leaving the party to join the opposition, the Borneo Post reported today.
The vocal Umno supreme council member has been repeatedly rumoured to be part of a Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) crossover to PKR earlier this month, having said “nothing is impossible in politics” and adding that he will make a switch if such was desired by his constituents.
“So far, I have no intention (of leaving Umno) but what we want are changes and improvements especially in the state leadership,” the Sabah paper quoted Lajim as saying.
He stressed that his decision to quit did not mean he was leaving the party, but to make way for “younger and more active candidates with potentials to become a leader at division level.”
“In fact, I may also probably not contest in the 13th general election ... maybe I would not be given an opportunity ... so it is better to hand over the post earlier,” he was quoted as saying.
The deputy minister of housing and local government has repeatedly called for changes in Sabah’s leadership, saying that there is no room for those who only “think about the future of their friends.”
Federal seats in east Malaysia’s Sabah and Sarawak are expected to be the opposition Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) focal point come the elections as both states, including the federal territory of Labuan, contain 57 federal constituencies, or 25 per cent of the 222 parliamentary seats available.
In Election 2008, BN retained power over Putrajaya largely due to wins in east Malaysia and Labuan, where it made a near-clean sweep, winning 55 seats against PR’s two.
But the ruling pact lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority after only securing a five-seat margin over PR in the peninsula, winning in just 85 constituencies versus the 80 that the opposition pact secured.
In Sabah, the deep-seated issue of illegal immigrants will likely be used as a key campaign issue in the coming polls, with the Najib administration holding the trump card for having finally agreed to investigate the issue by forming a royal commission of inquiry to investigate the matter.
Baguslah..beri peluang pada pemimpin-pemimpin yang masih muda. pemimpin yang mempunyai prestasi yang buruk perlu disingkirkan.
ReplyDeleteGuess Lajim also fed up to explain that he is not leaving UMNO.
ReplyDeleteLajim has clarify this matter many times but still there the rumour is circulating.. so of course he is fed up already.
Deletekalau beliau sudah menyatakan hasratnya, janganlah lagi buat spekulasi yang tidak berasas mengenai perletakan jawatannya
ReplyDeletebaguslah kalau beliau letak jawatan untuk beri laluan kepada calon2 yang lebih muda, lebih aktif dan berpotensi
ReplyDeletebiarlah beliau sendiri yang menentukan haluannya selepas perletakan jawatan ini...
ReplyDeletelagipun, itu haknya sendiri untuk membuat keputusannya
ReplyDeleteapa yang penting ialah isu penubuhan RCI telahpun dipersetujui oleh Najib
ReplyDeleteYeah, we still waiting the RCI to be implemented in Sabah. The TOR must done quickly.
DeleteI hope with lajim explanation, the rumours regarding him leaving UMNO for another opposition party will end here.
ReplyDeleteLajim hnya letak jawatan ketua bahagian.. tak bermakna dia akan tinggalkan UMNO.
ReplyDeletelagipun lajim dah perjelaskan dia akan terus brsama UMNO.
ReplyDeleteDatuk Lajim cuma ingin memberikan peluang kepada wakil baru untuk memegang jawatan yang dipegangnya sebelum ini.
ReplyDeleteSoon Lajim need to make a decision, which way to go.
ReplyDeletesi Lajim ni pok sokongan simpati saja ba.. ataupun dia harap dapat jawatn TPM dari Anwar sekiranya ANwar jadi PM..
ReplyDeletekalaulah si Lajim berjuang dalam Pakatan, awal2 lagi dia sudah kena pecat macam si Hassan Ali dan Tunku Aziz..
ReplyDeleteThe appointment of Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin as the Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government has been revoked with immediate effect. A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said that Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah had given his consent to the revocation of the appointment.
ReplyDeleteThe revocation was made under Clause (3) Article 43A which was read together with Clause (5) Article 43 of the Federal Constitution. Lajim announced his resignation as a member of the Umno supreme council, Beaufort Umno division head, and chairman of the Beaufort Barisan Nasional with immediate effect. However, he remains as an Umno member.
ReplyDeleteWhen announcing his resignation in Likas Jaya, near Kota Kinabalu, Lajim was later reported to have said that he was leaving it to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to decide on his position as Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government. At that event, he appeared together with Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
ReplyDeleteLajim, 57, was elected as a member of Parliament in the 2008 general election, replacing the incumbent for the Beaufort seat, Azizah Mohd Dun, after defeating Lajim Md Yusof (PKR) with a majority of 10,914 votes. He was later appointed as the Deputy Minister of Transport in 2008 before changing portfolio as Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government in 2009.
ReplyDeleteIn Kota Kinabalu, Lajim chose to remain mum over his sacking. His press officer Jaafar Wahid said Lajim would not be commenting on the matter. Jaafar said Lajim would call for a press conference at an appropriate time to address various issues. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said Lajim’s removal as deputy minister was in accordance with procedures.
ReplyDelete“If a leader does not subscribe to his party’s principles, why should he hold on to a government post? It’s no use trying to hold on in the hope of garnering sympathy,” he said, adding that the Government would not be distracted by Lajim’s decision and was “moving forward”.
ReplyDelete