PN gov't formed from personal cooperation, not common policy, says Bung

The Perikatan Nasional government led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was formed due to cooperation between individual elected representatives and not on the basis of common policy, Sabah Umno chairperson Bung Moktar Radin said.

Bung, who is also Kinabatangan MP, said that this was one of the main reasons why PN had failed to coordinate at the state level.

"PN was created to form a government among MPs (who support Muhyiddin as prime minister).

"It was not the basis of party-to-party (common) policies,” he said in a special programme Khas Bersama Pengerusi Umno Sabah, which was broadcast live on the Facebook page of Dr Noor Azizan Abdul Majid, who was the moderator.

Bung said Sabah Umno did not have enough time to establish PN cooperation in Sabah.

"After the government was created, there was a (Covid-19) crisis.

"So that's why when it comes to discussions, there are constraints between the parties," he said.

Previously, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (above) had penned a letter to Muhyiddin asking for several Sabah Umno leaders to be appointed to lead government agencies.

Among others, Zahid asked Muhyiddin to appoint Bung as the Sabah Federal Development Department chairperson.

Sabah Umno is perceived to have tense relations with Sabah Berstau, which was formed by many defectors from Umno.

The PN administration, which also includes PAS, MIC, MCA, GPS and a majority of Bersatu MPs, backed Muhyiddin as the eighth prime minister of Malaysia following Dr Mahathir Mohamad's resignation.

Bersatu's withdrawal of support for the Pakatan Harapan government in combination with 10 defecting PKR MPs led by Azmin Ali saw the Harapan government collapse in February.

Muhyiddin, who was sworn in as prime minister on March 1, has had to face the Covid-19 crisis that led the government to announce the movement control order (MCO) from March 18.

Meanwhile, on a question about the Sabah government's attempts to address the Covid-19 situation, Bung said that while the Warisan-led administration had the commitment, it had weaknesses in coordination.

"There is a high commitment from the Sabah state government to assist and deal with Covid-19.

"I also see that there are many weaknesses, besides the desire to help. It may also be less sincere and less transparent at lower levels," Bung said.

He stressed that Warisan could not be blamed for not having any experience in combatting Covid-19. - Mkini