Umno yet to receive response from Muhyiddin over request for positions

Umno has yet to receive a response from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, almost two weeks after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi penned a letter requesting for positions for leaders in its Sabah chapter.

Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin, when contacted, said his party is still waiting for the prime minister's response.

"We haven't received any information.

"Wait for the prime minister's response first," he told Malaysiakini when asked for an update on the matter.

Bung also did not want to weigh into the party's next course of action, maintaining that they want to hear from the prime minister first.

In a letter dated April 16 sighted by Malaysiakini, Zahid had asked Muhyiddin to consider appointing Bung as the Sabah Federal Development Department chairperson.

Zahid also suggested for Kimanis MP Mohamad Alamin to be made a deputy minister to represent the Sabah Umno chapter.

Mohamad Alamin became an MP this February after defeating Warisan candidate Karim Bujang in the Kimanis by-election.

Zahid, who is also Bagan Datuk MP, also requested for Tuaran division chief Abdul Rahman Dahlan to be appointed as a member of the Dewan Negara and for Sabah Umno deputy chairperson Yakubah Khan to be appointed as Labuan Port Authority (LPA) chairperson.

Bung had previously said Muhyiddin can help strengthen Perikatan Nasional in Sabah if he acceded to the request.

The PN government comprising Bersatu, Umno, GPS, Gabungan Bersatu Sabah and other minor parties was formed to replace the Pakatan Harapan government.

The Harapan government collapsed after Muhyiddin took Bersatu out of the coalition and was joined by a group of PKR defectors led by former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, who have also joined Bersatu.

Muhyiddin was sworn in on March 1 and the cabinet was formed on March 9.

However, Umno leaders had complained that the party has been allocated mostly less significant positions in the cabinet. - Mkini