KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah Umno leader says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor made himself look bad by raising the issue of an attempt to overthrow the state government.
Its state information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir (pic) challenged Hajiji, who is also Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman, to explain the power grab.
Suhaimi, who is also Libaran MP, contended that Hajiji had broken a number of promises made to Sabah Umno when the party was still part of the GRS state government.
Hajiji was also state Bersatu chief at the time.
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"We can also elaborate one by one (regarding the broken promises) if he (Hajiji) wants us to," he said in a statement on Tuesday (Nov 14).
Suhaimi said Umno's anger peaked when Hajiji, without consulting Sabah Barisan Nasional-Umno, convinced GRS MPs to support Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to be prime minister after GE15.
"Hajiji does not need to pretend ... to forget this piece of history.
"Umno would not have pulled support for him if he had been sincere in friendship," he added.
On Monday (Nov 13), Hajiji told the Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah general convention that the attempted political coup in January was a black mark in Sabah's political history, and hard to forget.
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Hajiji said any attempt to overthrow a government was not an act of democracy.
"It is a desperate action that is embarrassing and unethical," he said, thanking Pakatan Harapan and also some Barisan and Umno members who threw their support behind him, allowing GRS to continue governing Sabah.
Sabah Umno, Parti Warisan and Parti KDM's attempt to unseat Hajiji's GRS government failed after several Umno dissidents as well as Sabah Pakatan assemblymen backed the Chief Minister, giving him a majority in the 79-seat state assembly.
In the fallout, Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin was dropped as deputy chief minister and several other party leaders lost their state Cabinet posts as well.
Suhaimi said the people would not forget leaders who changed parties like they changed shirts.
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"They (those in Gagasan Rakyat) started from Umno. When Umno lost (in the election), they joined Bersatu.
"When Bersatu lost, they formed a new party, Gagasan Rakyat. Such a political tale is embarrassing for Sabahans," he said.
Suhaimi further claimed that people in grassroots positions in state constituencies as well as at village level had been removed for not joining Gagasan Rakyat.
Suhaimi also backed a previous statement by Bung Moktar who had alleged Hajiji kept breaking his promises, which led to Sabah Barisan-Umno pulling out of the state government.
