Barisan wants Bung Moktar as Sabah CM

Bung Moktar (left) and Hajiji.

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has proposed Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin as the next Sabah Chief Minister.Confirming that he had written a letter expressing so to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Zahid said he felt that the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition owed Barisan the post.

“We have given in twice – once in Perak, where Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia only has four state representatives and Umno has 25.“Yet we agreed that a Bersatu state assemblyman (Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu) be appointed as the Mentri Besar of Perak.

“Also, when we came in to form the Federal Government with Bersatu and Gagasan Parti Sarawak, even though Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s party did not have the most MPs, we agreed that he would be the Prime Minister, ” he added.

Zahid said he hoped Tun Juhar Mahiruddin would use his wisdom to choose Bung Moktar as the next chief minister “in the spirit of Perak and prime ministership”.

“Now, for us, if we do not get a Barisan (state assemblyman) as the chief minister in Sabah, the cost for Barisan in the future will be too much to bear.

“Our studies have shown that the impact would not be good for Barisan. I would not agree for Bung to concede to anyone else outside of Barisan to be the chief minister. No, ” Zahid told The Star.

He also said he was fully aware that Juhar had consulted legal experts such as Tan Sri Richard Malanjum.

“I know the legal experts he consulted campaigned for the other side, but that is his prerogative, ” Zahid said.

He added that Barisan had also gotten legal advice on Article 6(7) of the Sabah constitution, where the governor has the prerogative to appoint a chief minister with the most number of state representatives.

“The matter of Article 6(7) has been brought to the High Court and the Court of Appeal, ” Zahid said, adding that their interpretation of the term “party which commands the majority” did not necessarily mean more than 60% of the state assembly.

“We (GRS) have given two names – Bung Moktar and Hajiji. I am hoping that the governor will decide in the spirit of Perak.

“It is the governor’s prerogative, but I hope it will be Bung Moktar, ” he said.