KOTA KINABALU: The announcement by Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin that Sabah Barisan Nasional is pulling the plug over its support for Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor proves there is a plan to unseat the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government.
In a joint statement by GRS component leaders here on Saturday (Jan 7), they contended that Bung Moktar had hatched the plan with Parti Warisan led by former chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal to destabilise the state’s political situation.
The leaders said this followed their failed initial attempt to topple the state government on Thursday (Jan 5).
“However, the announcement does not affect Hajiji’s current position as the validity of the Chief Minister is decided by the majority support of members of the state assembly in accordance with the state constitution.
“Hajiji remains as Chief Minister and any press statement by political parties does not influence (his position) from a legal standpoint,” they added.
The statement was jointly issued by Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili, Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) chief Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee and the United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) president Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.
At the same time, the leaders also expressed their support for all GRS assemblymen in Hajiji’s leadership and his tenure as Chief Minister.
“GRS is a political party with the most number of assemblymen in the Sabah state assembly.
“GRS also appreciated the majority support from other state representatives for Hajiji as CM including the collective support of Pakatan Harapan, Barisan, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (PHRS) and nominated assemblymen,” they said.
They said the strong commitment was based on the awareness that priority must be given in the interest of the people and state instead of the narrow partisan and individual interests.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to respect the people’s mandate in the last state election.
“Any move to form a backdoor government and not through the electoral process is an act of betrayal of this mandate and must be rejected,” the leaders said.
Bung Moktar had announced the decision to pull the plug on the 27-month old coalition state government after chairing a two-hour meeting at the Sabah Umno headquarters here on Friday (Jan 6) night.
The Deputy Chief Minister said Sabah Barisan had lost confidence in Hajiji as he had lost his locus standi to remain as CM after he quit Bersatu to become a direct member of GRS.
The decision to pull out, he added, involved 17 Sabah Umno assemblymen and Segama rep Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi of Parti Bangsa Malaysia.
However, Bung Moktar admitted that at least five of his assemblymen have yet to support the move, although he chose not to name them.
“But we are still talking to them as this is a decision involving the party and not the individual,” he said.
