Following the resignations of more than a dozen Sabah Umno elected representatives this afternoon, Bersatu is set to complete its expansion to East Malaysia.
Speaking to Malaysiakini on condition of anonymity, Bersatu sources revealed that the party has been working for the past six months to spread its wings to Sabah.
"Now that we are in Sarawak, those (elected representatives) in Sabah are asking why they are not allowed to join Bersatu. They want to be members as well.
"They feel that they can deliver better to the people in Sabah by being part of the state government and federal government,” said one of the sources.
On Dec 1, Bersatu laid its foundation in Sarawak, opening 31 branches across the state.
According to sources, those who quit Sabah Umno would join Bersatu in a "phase-by-phase" basis after serving as independent lawmakers first.
Responding to a question, the sources revealed that negotiations are being carried out with Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal, who is also the president of the Pakatan Harapan-aligned Parti Warisan Sabah, on Bersatu entering the state.
"There will be more consultations," said one of them, pointing to how the Sabah Umno representatives who quit had pledged their support for Shafie and his administration.
"I think there will be a complementary role between Bersatu and Warisan with all the other coalition partners in Sabah. It's not a big problem," added the source.
Earlier, Bersatu chief strategist Rais Hussin tweeted a photograph of him having lunch with those who quit Sabah Umno, which prompted Umno lawmaker Khairy Jamaluddin to respond, “Wow. Laju. Boss (Wow. That was quick. Boss)”.
“In Sabah having lunch amongst friends! Great food, great taste, great company! Looks I will be flying in to Sabah more often,” read the caption.
In Sabah having lunch amongst friends ! Great food, great taste, great company ! Looks I will be flying in to Sabah more often ! @MasidiM @sallehsaid @mohdrafiq2020 and many more !
Meanwhile, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin also confirmed there have been requests for the party to move into Sabah in the wake of the resignations.
'It's not frog-jumping'
The sources also dismissed concerns about Harapan accepting former BN and Umno leaders into its fold.
"You are seeing a group of people realising that they can better serve and deliver the deliverables to the people of Sabah by being part of the government; the state and the federal.
"This is not frog-jumping, this is a conscious concerted effort. People should see it in that context.
"It will only strengthen the coalition than weakening it because it is complementary to the existing coalition, a complement to Warisan and other parties in Sabah," said a source.
Those who resigned from Sabah Umno also pledged their support for Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is the chairperson of Bersatu.
Another 6 from the peninsula?
Meanwhile, TMI reported that a former Umno minister is persuading fellow MPs to quit the party.
Quoting sources, it said the minister told the MPs during private meetings that they would remain as independent lawmakers before joining Bersatu.
According to the report, he has convinced six MPs in the peninsula to do so and the latter are persuading others who are reluctant to leave.
“Initially 38 MPs wanted to move. Then the figure was revised down to 20.
“The figure keeps changing but what is confirmed is that six have agreed to quit. It’s just a matter of time,” said the sources. - Mkini
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