Umno defectors are like ‘monkeys’ jumping around, says Bung

Sabah Umno chairman Bung Moktar Radin called on the state to implement the anti-party hopping bill to stop defections.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) has lashed out at five former Sabah Umno assemblymen who defected to Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) today, likening them to monkeys.

While debating the King’s royal address at the Dewan Rakyat, Bung said the reason for the defection was because the anti-hopping law was not being implemented at the state level.

“There are state assemblymen in Sabah who love to hop around like monkeys but they forget that no matter how high they jump, they will fall someday.

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“When they become traitors (to their parties), they get positions (and) they become ministers, although they are unqualified and uneducated.

“Because the (Sabah) state government does not think about the direction (of the state) and the future of Sabahans. They only think about how to defend their power and show to the public that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is strong,” Bung, who is also the Sabah Umno chairman, said.

The five who defected today are Yusof Yacob (Sindumin), Jasni Daya (Pantai Dalit), Arsad Bistari (Tempasuk), Hamid Awang (Balung) and James Ratib (Sugut).

In January, the five assemblymen also refused to be part of a move to oust Hajiji Noor as the chief minister in an attempted coup in January orchestrated by Bung and Warisan’s Shafie Apdal.

Bung also labelled James and Yusof as “serial hoppers who have jumped to all political parties in this country”.

“I can guarantee that when PGRS falls from power, these two people will jump and abandon chief minister Hajiji,” Bung said. - FMT