Sabah Umno will be divided too if it pulls out of GRS, say analysts

 

Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin has yet to indicate any intention to pull out of GRS despite the deepening rift between Umno and Bersatu at the federal level. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: Two analysts predict a split in Sabah Umno if its leadership decides it should withdraw from the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition government.

Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya (UM) and Council of Professors fellow Jeniri Amir told FMT they believed a number of assemblymen from Umno would choose to remain in the Perikatan Nasional-led (PN) government.

Sabah Umno chief and Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin has yet to indicate any intention to pull out of GRS despite the deepening rift between Umno and Bersatu at the federal level. But his silence on whether he supports or opposes the PN-led federal administration has kept the rumour mill churning.

Sabah Umno has 16 members in the state assembly.

Awang Azman Pawi.

Awang Azman said what was taking place in Peninsular Malaysia could happen in Sabah as well, giving rise to a “Team A versus Team B” scenario in Umno.

“It could be that only a few assemblymen will throw in their support if Sabah Umno chooses to break from GRS now,” he said. “That means the GRS state government will not collapse.

“This is why I think Bung has not commented on the political situation following the Umno president’s announcement that the party was withdrawing support for PN.

“In any case, Sabah Umno’s next move will depend heavily on how things pan out on the peninsula. Bung is playing it safe to see which team comes out on top in the political crisis.”

The GRS coalition has 48 seats, including nominated reps, in the 79-seat state assembly. Besides the 16 seats held by Sabah Umno, the state PN parties – Bersatu, STAR, SAPP and PAS – have 25 seats combined, including two held by PN-friendly independents. The remaining seven are held by PBS.

Deputy prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob claimed yesterday that 31 of the 42 Barisan Nasional MPs were siding with PN and support Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister.

Jeniri Amir.

It is not clear if Bung, who previously toed the party line of retracting support for Muhyiddin, is among the MPs backing the government.

Jeniri said it was now likely that Sabah PN would try to persuade some Umno assemblymen to remain in its ranks in order to shore up its numbers.

“The state government will fall but only if all the 16 assemblymen pull out together,” he said. “But I don’t think everyone will.

“It’s not impossible to get Umno assemblymen to defect. In fact, it’s kind of a normal thing in Sabah now for representatives to cross parties.

“But amid the political instability, if they do hop over to Bersatu, people will immediately conclude there must be some kind of incentive behind it.”

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) lecturer Lee Kuok Tiung said he did not think Sabah Umno would pull out of GRS.

“It only recently pledged its support and commitment to GRS,” he said. “So I believe the Umno members will not want to involve themselves with the headache of choosing between Team A and Team B.

“I also believe that Sabah Umno should use the autonomy it says it has to focus on delivering the best service to the people who gave it victory in last year’s election.”

Lee added that there had not been any instruction from Umno headquarters for state chapters to cut ties with state governments led by PN. - FMT