Sabah BN moves to mend fences with GRS

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional is on the move to mend ties with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, two months after a failed coup to topple his government.

Sabah Barisan deputy chairman Datuk Yakubah Khan turned up at the launch of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) by its new president, Hajiji, yesterday.

“We are here to foster ties,” he told reporters when asked about the status between Barisan and Hajiji.He said he was given the task by Umno’s central leadership to discuss unity with Hajiji.

“We have started our discussions, and these have been very positive,” Yakubah said, adding they have a secretariat working towards unity.

Relations between GRS and Sabah Barisan soured after then state Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin withdrew support for Hajiji as chief minister on Jan 5.However, Hajiji managed to retain the government with the support of five Barisan-Umno assemblymen and Sabah Pakatan Harapan. He has since secured more than a two-third majority in the 79-member house.

Asked about the position of Bung Moktar in Sabah Barisan-Umno, Yakubah said Bung is still state chairman.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, who was among the four Umno men who supported Hajiji during the crisis, said he attended the Gagasan Rakyat launch as an invited guest.

Shahelmey, who is Tanjung Keramat assemblyman as well as Putatan MP, said he is leaving it to the Umno supreme council to decide on his position in the party.

“The party’s disciplinary board will forward its recommendation to the supreme council, which will make the announcement. So we’ll have to wait for that,” he added.

Shahelmey has answered the Umno disciplinary committee after a show cause letter was issued to him for supporting Hajiji.

Three other Umno assemblymen – Datuk James Ratib (Sugut), Datuk Jasnih Daya (Pantai Dalit) and Datuk Hamid Awang (Balung) – were also issued letters by the headquarters but they have quit the party to join Hajiji in Gagasan Rakyat.

Shahelmey said he is not getting involved in the ongoing Umno party elections and would not be defending his Putatan division chief’s post.

“Whoever is contesting, I wish them good luck,” he said.