No Umno decision yet on five dissenting Sabah reps

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno has yet to decide on the fate of the five Sabah Barisan Nasional assemblymen who broke ranks with the state leadership and supported Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor as Chief Minister.

“We have not made any decision on this issue,” said party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

Asked if the Sabah government was a “unity government”, Ahmad said: “This matter should be discussed later.”

“The Sabah government is unique. We hope the situation will return to normal and for the administration to be stable.”

For now, he said Umno was focussing on their general assembly and will address issues raised during the four-day meeting, he added.

The general assembly, which was initially slated for last December, is being held from yesterday to Saturday. There have been calls for action to be taken against the five Sabah Barisan representatives – all from Umno – who voiced their support for Hajiji and his leadership.

On Jan 7, Sabah Barisan withdrew its support for the Hajiji-led state government, leading to political instability and uncertainty.

The five assemblymen are Datuk Shahelmey Yahya (Tanjung Keramat), Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob (Sindumin), Datuk Jasnih Daya (Pantai Dalit), Datuk Arshad Bistari (Tempasuk), and Datuk James Ratib (Sugut).

Two of them – Shahelmey and James – have since been sworn into the state Cabinet, with the former named Deputy Chief Minister III and Works Minister, taking over from Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Mokhtar Radin, who had led the withdrawal of support for Hajiji.

James was named Community Development and People’s Well-being Minister.

Bung Moktar said that Sabah Umno would not recognise the two new appointments involving its assemblymen.