Two Sabah Umno reps clash over 'power grab' claim

KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah Umno division leader has slammed his party colleague Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob for criticising the state leadership for withdrawing support for the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-led government.

Sipitang Umno division head Datuk Kamarlin Ombi claimed that Dr Yusof, who is also Sindumin assemblyman, lacked principles and told him to repent for undermining the party after leaving Parti Warisan to rejoin Umno last year.

He said that Dr Yusof should have not labelled the move as a "power grab" and had gone overboard by demanding the resignation of Sabah Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.

"We deny there was ever a power grab move as claimed by Dr Yusof," he said in a statement on Saturday (Jan 7).

Kamarlin claimed that the accusations by Dr Yusof, who was an Umno member when the party first spread its wings to the state in the 1990s, exposed his true intention to rejoin Umno and serve personal interests.

Dr Yusof was quoted as saying by a local news portal on Saturday (Jan 7) that he felt disappointed and ashamed over Bung Moktar's announcement to withdraw Sabah Barisan's support for the GRS government led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

He added that the move had also tarnished Umno's image in the eyes of Malaysians.

He also claimed the Barisan-Warisan pact to unseat the state government had clearly failed despite two attempts to do so.

During the announcement on Friday night (Jan 6), Bung Moktar said the decision to pull out involved 18 Sabah Barisan assemblymen but admitted that five, whom he did not name, did not agree to the move.