Kiandee staying put with Sabah Bersatu despite exodus led by Hajiji

KOTA KINABALU: Beluran MP Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee is staying put with Bersatu amid an exodus led by the Sabah chapter chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

"I am still Bersatu's Beluran division chief. I am staying put with Sabah Bersatu," said the Bersatu vice-president when contacted.

"I heard they had a gathering on Friday (Dec 9) night when they made the decision. I was not invited or informed of it," he said.

He said that the move by Hajiji could not "shut down" Bersatu in Sabah, adding that he believed that the party would still retain many of its grassroots as those leaving do not have the blessings of the party members.

"I know several of the division chiefs have second thoughts over the decision. It is their right to choose whatever vehicle they want in their political recalibration.

"They can justify their move with whatever reasons. The party members have the right to make their own decisions," he added.

"Bersatu is here in Sabah to stay, we will rebuild it," he added.

Kiandee, a former agriculture and food industry minister, had retained the Beluran seat on a Perikatan Nasional ticket after his seat was allocated to Barisan Nasional under an electoral seat-sharing pact between Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Barisan.

It is learned that not all Sabah Bersatu division chiefs were present at the meeting with Hajiji on Friday night.

The four GRS MPs from Bersatu - Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Datuk Matbali Musah (Sipitang), Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (Papar) and Datuk Jonathan Yassin (Ranau) - were apparently not present.

However, it is learned that the four MPs were GRS direct members but might not have attended the meeting as they might want to remain Bersatu members due to a possible breach of the anti-hopping law.

All four from Bersatu had contested on GRS tickets.