KOTA KINABALU: After the mass exodus of Sabah Umno's elected lawmakers, the state opposition leader, Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, expects the local opposition coalition Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS) remaining as opposition at state level, while becoming "friendly" to Pakatan Harapan at the national level.
Speaking to reporters at the Special State Assembly sitting Thursday (Dec 13), Dr Jeffrey said that it was necessary to check the state government led by Parti Warisan Sabah. To do this, he claimed it will be better for local opposition GBS to be friendly to Pakatan at federal level.
He recalled that from the 1970s right up to 1990, it was commonplace for Barisan Nasional component parties to be rivals at state level yet still work together at federal level.
Dr Jeffrey said that with nine of ten Umno assemblyman and five of six Umno MPs leaving the party to become independents on Wednesday (Dec 12), his own party, Parti Solidariti Sabah (Sabah STAR), will remain within the three-party GBS opposition coalition until they decide on their political direction.
However, Sabah Umno itself, though it was in the opposition, will no longer be part of GBS, he said.
Without Sabah Umno, he said GBS will now comprise of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), STAR and the lawmakers who had jumped out of Umno.
“They (former Umno members) have their options to join a national party or local party,” he said.
He added they may join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) if it decides to spread its wings to Sabah.
“They have their options, we will wait for them to decide, until then they remain as independents,” he said.
Dr Jeffrey, the Sabah STAR president, said there was no problem for them working with ex-Umno lawmakers led by Sulaman assemblyman Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor.
This was despite them having pledged their support to the federal government under Tun Dr Mahathir Mohahad and state government under Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
Noting that five of the ex-Umno assemblymen voted against the amendment to lift the the maximum two-term limit of the governor, Dr Jeffrey said that it was discussed at GBS level.
The amendment was passed with 45 votes in favour and 15 against.
Five assemblymen – including Hajiji and another ex-Umno assemblyman Datuk Masidi Manjun – were not present during the vote in the assembly.
