Sabah Umno to seek PM's consideration if request for positions ignored

Sabah Umno would seek Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's consideration if a request for four of its leaders to be given positions at the federal level is ignored.

Kota Belud Umno division chief Awang Fadli Juana said the proposal by Sabah Umno was intended to strengthen the party at state level as they were not given any opportunity under the present Perikatan National (PN) federal government.

"If we cannot get what we ask for we will go back to the prime minister, seek for reconsideration. We just want to strengthen the party.

"So we are pleading, even if we can't get it during this ongoing movement control order (MCO) period, we ask that after the MCO the prime minister gives us just one position so that we can get closer to the people," he told Malaysiakini today.

Awang said this when asked for comments on possible steps to be taken by Sabah Umno, either to bring it up again or to abandon the idea, if the proposal was ignored by the prime minister,

Commenting further, he said Umno should be looking at the "bigger picture" and not take any action that can jeopardise the party, although he stressed that valid reasons must be provided if their request is turned down.

He said Sabah Umno has currently two lawmakers in Parliament and the request for more positions in the federal government should be given serious consideration.

"I think the prime minister should look at the situation rationally.

"Our (Sabah Umno) two MPs can vote in the Dewan Rakyat. We all know the Perikatan Nasional government's current position in Parliament. I think you know that too," he said without elaborating further.

According to a letter dated April 16 signed by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, four Sabah Umno leaders were recommended to positions in the PN government, including former minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan as a Dewan Negara senator.

The three others are Sabah Umno state liaison chief and Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin as Sabah Federal Development Department chairperson; Kimanis MP Mohamad Alamin as a deputy minister; and Sabah Umno deputy liaison chief Yakubah Khan as Labuan Port Board chairperson.

Bung Moktar had said yesterday there has been no response from Muhyiddin to the proposal but he would wait before deliberating on Sabah Umno's next step.

The former Felcra chairperson said there has been unhappiness within Sabah Umno against the federal government after being left out of Muhyiddin's cabinet, stressing a need to balance appointments of Umno and Bersatu leaders from the state.

In an immediate reaction, Bersatu Youth stressed that Muhyiddin should not entertain any demands from Sabah Umno, including through Zahid's letter.

Pointing out that Bung is among the Umno leaders facing ongoing corruption trials, Bersatu Youth said there are many other potential candidates from Sabah, including from Umno and PAS.

"We suggest the prime minister shift his attention to representatives from the Sabah youth, or those below 40, as they represent the largest demographic cluster among Sabah's estimated four million population.

"It's this dynamic group that should be considered by the prime minister," said Bersatu Youth.

Aside from Bung, other Umno leaders who had expressed their unhappiness were Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan; former ministers Azalina Othman Said and Shahrir Samad; as well as Umno supreme council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.

Muhyiddin had announced his cabinet on March 9. The present PN government comprise of Umno, Bersatu and PAS, supported by Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS) as well as Independents.  - Mkini