SANDAKAN: No Barisan Nasional component party or friends of the coalition are being sidelined, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
"We include all our friends in Barisan and none of them should feel they are being sidelined," said the Barisan chairman.
He added that MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong was given the honour of opening the Sabah Barisan convention here.
He was commenting on Dr Wee's recent statement that Barisan parties were not consulted about the coalition working with Pakatan Harapan in the next general election.
Ahmad Zahid said Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Datuk Arthur Kurup and a Sabah MIC representative were also at the Barisan convention.
He said that the issue should not be misunderstood and it was important for the Barisan to protect itself and avoid outsiders from making negative comments about them.
Asked if Umno will sue four of its Sabah assemblymen for joining Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, he said that the case of Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis who joined PAS was different.
He said the Rembia assemblyman had signed documents and made a pledge to remain with Umno.
However, he said the case of the four Sabah assemblymen was slightly different and there was no immediate intention to sue them.
"We are handling it differently in Sabah," he said.
He also said that although key Sabah Umno leaders were not with the GRS state government, there were a few Umno leaders working with the coalition, which supports the unity government.
