Ranau Bersatu first Sabah division to dissolve following decision to leave the party

KOTA KINABALU: The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Ranau division became the party's first division to "dissolve" in the state after Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor announced that they were leaving the party “en-bloc”.

The Ranau Bersatu division headed by Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun officially dissolved following a meeting at the Karanaan people's service centre in Ranau on Monday (Dec 12).

The decision of the Ranau division committee allowed for the dissolution of the division automatically.

Masidi, who chaired the meeting, said that the move to leave the party had been communicated to the party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and secretary general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.

"We joined Bersatu in a good way and of course when we decide to leave, it will definitely be in a good way."

"We respect and thank Bersatu for all its services to us, but this action needs to be taken to ensure political stability and the continued development of this state," Masidi, who was the Sabah Bersatu deputy chairman, said.

Following the disbanding of the division, the branches in Ranau would also be disbanded by their respective branch committees.

On Saturday (Dec 10), Hajiji announced that Sabah Bersatu would leave en-bloc and park "temporarily" as direct members of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) pending the formation of a new political party that would be part of GRS.

GRS and Sabah Barisan Nasional are the coalition that formed the state government.

Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had appointed Beluran MP Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee to lead the state and restructure it following the exodus of the Sabah Bersatu members.

Kiandee had said that his Beluran division was still intact and believed that several division leaders were having "second thoughts" over the move to leave Bersatu.

Though Hajiji had announced that they were moving en-bloc, it was still not clear how many divisions and local party leaders were following Hajiji.

Hajiji is GRS chairman and Masidi is secretary general.