Warisan reps came to see us, says Bung to Shafie

Sabah Umno leader Bung Moktar Radin talking to the press after chairing a party meeting in Kota Kinabalu.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno leader Bung Moktar Radin has dismissed claims by Warisan leader Shafie Apdal that Umno had tried to entice members of the ruling Warisan-led coalition to switch sides.

Instead, Bung said it was Shafie’s own people who were fed up with the parties in the ruling coalition.

He claimed a certain number of Warisan reps had approached him and told him that Pakatan Harapan Plus (comprising PH parties PKR, DAP and Amanah, with Warisan and Upko) no longer had a sense of direction after becoming federal opposition parties.

“They only talk rubbish. It is their reps who are now fed up with them. Some men have met me over this recently … and they told me they were fed up with Warisan.

“I think there are many more like them,” said Bung. He declined to reveal the Warisan reps.

Last week, Warisan chief Shafie Apdal had said that he would not relent in the face of a “grand plan” by the federal ruling coalition of Perikatan Nasional to convince his MPs and assemblymen to ditch the state coalition and join them.

When asked whether any reps in the ruling parties had been approached, Bung said: “Yes, it was them who had approached me” and not the other way around.

He said many reps in PH Plus had been made chairmen of GLCs as this was Shafie’s way to make sure he had a grip on his men.

Two assemblymen from Upko, James Ratib and Limus Jury, left to become independents aligned to PN, sparking talk of more defections and a possible collapse of the Warisan-led state government.

Yayasan Sabah case

Bung described a Sabah Foundation suit claiming RM872 million from former chief minister Musa Aman as a publicity stunt.

“Sabah Umno is of the view that the suit against Musa was unprofessional, emotional and political,” he said.

On Friday, Sabah Foundation director Jamalul Kiram Mohd Zakaria told the press about the suit and alleged that Musa had a part in the disappearance of RM827 million in foundation funds during his time as chief minister.

Preparation for polls

Bung chaired a meeting today of Sabah Umno and its allies in Barisan Nasional Plus which he said was related to the coalition’s preparations for a snap general election that could be announced at any time.

He noted that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had hinted of fresh elections to resolve the current political uncertainty.

Sabah Umno was undertaking steps to strengthen all the election machinery of all parties to ensure they were prepared for elections at any time. - FMT