Kiandee reminds 'friend' Bung of 'political statements' against defectors

PARLIAMENT | Ronald Kiandee (Harapan-Beluran) today issued a "friendly reminder" to Bung Mokhtar Raden (BN-Kinabatangan) on the latter's statements hitting out at Umno defectors yesterday.

The former BN deputy speaker, who recently joined Bersatu, said he continues to regard Bung Mokhtar as a friend, including someone whom he will continue to beat on the golf course.

"There is no friendship lost between Kinabatangan and myself.

"But I would just like to remind Kinabatangan that many of the things he touched on yesterday were political statements made in his capacity to survive as a party (Umno) member," said Kiandee (above).

Bung, in his debate on the royal address yesterday, had responded to the wave of defections from Sabah Umno and voiced support for the enactment of an anti-party hopping law.

Bung described the defecting lawmakers as having no integrity and no strength in their struggle and said Sabah Umno remained unfazed and would recapture the lost seats in the 15th general election.

Responding to Bung in his debate today, Kiandee dismissed the remarks as mere political statements citing Sabah Umno's history of accepting defectors, including from PBS to form the state government in 1994, up until the last 14th general election.

"So when he says that we have no integrity, I consider that to be a political statement because Kinabatangan surely understands that by describing defectors as having no integrity, Umno has also embraced them (defectors) to form a government up until 2018.

"So there is no issue of having no dignity. That is a political statement by Kinabatangan," he said.

He similarly dismissed Bung's caution that the defectors will lose their seats if fielded again by Harapan in GE15, pointing out that Sabah Umno also had a history of fielding PBS defectors but who retained their seats until the last general election.

"So if it was said we will be wiped out in GE15, that, too, is a political statement," he said.

Similarly, Kiandee said he believed Bung (above) had made the call to enact an anti-hopping law out of anger as there was a 1992 Supreme Court ruling against it based on a challenge filed against the Kelantan state assembly.

“Malaysians have the right to choose. The freedom of association.

"It is a decision that has yet to be challenged. Therefore, Bung saying we need an anti-hopping law is also a political statement to make themselves feel better so that other members will no longer be brave enough to cross over,” he said.

Kiandee further reminded Bung that the Perak constitutional crisis in 2009 eventually saw BN forming the state government after the defection of three Pakatan Rakyat state legislators.

In last year's general election, BN lost Sabah to Pakatan Harapan ally Warisan, led by former Umno vice-president Mohd Shafie Apdal.

Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad officially accepted four MPs including Kiandee, two senators and two state assemblypersons from Sabah Umno into his party last week. - Mkini