KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno’s move to withdraw its support for the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state government was not a “one-man” decision but based on consensus, says the party’s state information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir (pic).
He called out GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor for “casting aspersions” on the party’s move by claiming that only state Umno chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and a few leaders had pulled back support while many others remained with Hajiji’s government.
Suhaimi said Hajiji’s statement about Sabah Umno’s drastic stand taken last year was confusing and aimed at creating a negative perception among Umno members that the decision was the act of one leader.
He was responding to Hajiji’s claim on Sunday that the January 2023 decision by Sabah Umno to pull out of the GRS involved only Bung Moktar and several other leaders, while the rest had stayed on in his state government.
Suhaimi added that when Sabah Umno made the decision at a meeting chaired by Bung Moktar, it was done with the consensus of all present, including some of the party’s assemblymen who comprised state ministers, assistant ministers and division heads.
“That decision was unanimous. I want to correct Hajiji’s claim that it was the decision of Bung Moktar alone,” Suhaimi, who is the Libaran MP, said in a statement yesterday.
He, however, acknowledged that there were still some Umno assemblymen who remained as assistant ministers in Hajiji’s GRS government.
“The positions given to them were not important and they were also promised assemblymen’s funds, which were not delivered,” Suhaimi added.
He also said Hajiji’s appointment of Umno’s now-suspended Tanjung Keramat assemblyman Datuk Shahelmey Yahya as Deputy Chief Minister III was not a representation of the party in the state government.
Suhaimi claimed that GRS’ current actions are merely a “theatrical act” to mislead everyone, including the Prime Minister, as a purported sign of support for Pakatan.
