Sabah Umno, BN withdraw support for Hajiji as CM

Sabah Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) today announced their withdrawal of support for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) leader Hajiji Noor as chief minister.

Sabah Umno liaison committee chairman Bung Moktar Radin, who is also the state BN chariman, said the decision, made at a party meeting in Kota Kinabalu tonight, was due to a loss of confidence in Hajiji’s position as chief minister and a breach in agreement between BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Bung Moktar said BN and PN had agreed to form the state government following the Sabah election in 2020, but that Hajiji and other leaders of Sabah Bersatu, which is a component of PN, left the party, causing the state government to lose its legitimacy.

“Hajiji also threatened us with a Cabinet reshuffle without any discussion. We have also lost confidence after Hajiji lost his locus standi, and qualifications to be selected as Sabah chief minister.

“According to the Sabah state constitution, the chief minister must be chosen from a party with the majority. He (Hajiji) is without a party, his standing is under GRS, which is a grand coalition party,” he said in a media conference at the Sabah Umno building in Karamunsing tonight.

Bung Moktar said the agreement between BN and PN to form the state government had mentioned the appointment of state Cabinet members and state government-linked companies from Umno or BN.

“Today Hajiji, besides announcing the Cabinet reshuffle without discussion, also terminated Salleh Said Keruak (BN assemblyman for Usukan) as Qhazanah Sabah Bhd chairman without negotiations with the Sabah BN chairman,” he said.

Bung Moktar said he would seek an audience with Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri Juhar Mahiruddin in the latter’s capacity as a state leader to review Hajiji’s appointment as chief minister.

On whether the decision was supported by all Sabah BN assemblymen, he said five out of 18 of them did not support the decision. However, he did not name the five.

“We act based on the party, even though the assemblymen do not support it, to me, that’s fine because the party’s decision is final and we will take whatever stern action, including disciplinary action, against assemblymen who choose not to support the decisions of the party,” he said.