Musa dismisses Dr Mahathir’s Sabah election optimism

Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman says the people can judge for themselves BN’s performance in the state.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman has dismissed Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamed’s claim that the opposition coalition is confident of winning at least half of the parliamentary and state seats in Sabah in the next general election (GE14).

Mahathir last Wednesday said due to the weakness of the central government, the people of Sabah and Sarawak had become “very territorial” and disliked domination by peninsular-based political parties.

The former prime minister also said Sabah-based Warisan was very supportive of the opposition coalition.

“As usual, Mahathir has a right to express his feelings,” Musa told reporters after a meeting at Sabah Umno headquarters here yesterday.

“But Barisan Nasional in Sabah will keep going down to the ground to help Sabahans and bring as much development as we can.

“We’re sure Sabahans can tell for themselves what is right and wrong, what is good and bad.

“The important thing is Umno will keep working hard to fulfil the mandate given to us with dedication because it is a trust given to us leaders and party members.”

Musa, who is also Sabah BN liaison chairman, attributed Sabah’s successful development to the strong partnership among all BN component parties.

“Together, we have developed both the urban and rural areas of Sabah. The people have enjoyed the full benefit of development that we’ve brought,” he said.

Mahathir, in his statement last week, also said Sabah and Sarawak were no longer fixed deposits for the federal government, despite bearing that tag previously.

“They dare not have elections in Sabah because they know they won’t do well. If they can do as well as they did in Sarawak, then they will hold elections,” he said.

“It is very dicey for them. With the two states no longer being ‘fixed deposits’ for the government, they are now also worried about the peninsula, because they can only form a government if they can win in Sabah and Sarawak.”

Sabah BN leaders last week also dismissed Mahathir’s claim as a strategy to confuse voters.

Sabah BN Backbenchers Club chairman Abdul Rahim Ismail and Putatan MP Marcus Mojigoh said Mahathir was trying to swing Sabah voters to the opposition by casting PH as the likely winner in the upcoming elections.

Opposition Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president Jeffrey Kitingan also warned Sabahans that Mahathir will not change his attitude and policy towards the Bornean states. -FMT