‘Opportunist’ Upko should have left BN before GE, says Sabah Umno

An Umno leader hits out at Upko's attacks on the party in the aftermath of the general election.

Sabah Wanita Umno chief Jainab Ahmad Ayid. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno said Upko should have left Barisan Nasional (BN) before the 14th general election if it was really unhappy of being sidelined by the coalition.

State Wanita Umno chief Jainab Ahmad Ayid said Sabahans said the party decided to abandon BN because its top leaders were trying to get cabinet posts under the Warisan-led state government.

“More surprising and saddening is that Upko did not just leave BN but then accused BN and especially Umno of bullying Upko and its leaders, which is very untrue as we all know that BN always works based on consensus,” Jainab said.

He said Upko leaders including its acting president Wilfred Madius Tangau had made baseless accusations against their former partners in BN.

Jainab meanwhile said the recent resignation of Upko vice president Marcus Mojigoh was due to complaints over Tangau.

Mojigoh had claimed that the departure of some senior party members were due to the present leadership, which he said was “arrogant”.

Jainab also agreed with Sabah Umno information chief Pandikar Amin Mulia that Upko should not be too quick to dismiss the previous Umno-led state government as “kow-towing” to the federal government.

“It is another lie by Upko just so to get the people of Sabah to support the party. People know that the Warisan-led state government is part of the Pakatan Harapan Federal government.

“The Warisan-led state government is not an opposition to the federal government, so how can you say the Sabah government stands on its own and has nothing to do with the Federal government,” she said.

Pandikar had reportedly said that the new Sabah government would now have to “beg KL” for its survival. -FMT