KOTA KINABALU: Umno supreme council member Datuk Yakub Khan has denied that he had resigned from the party’s top leadership, saying such claims aimed to create division within the party.
He also rejected claims that Sabah Umno’s views were being sidelined by the central leadership.
He said that Umno headquarters has always been receptive to listening to suggestions and proposals from its Sabah chapter, especially regarding the upcoming state election.
“Sabah Umno is part of Umno. Of course, we depend on one another,” he said, when contacted on Friday (May 2).
Yakub said that any dissatisfaction should be resolved through proper internal discussions.
“Umno has a negotiation platform to address any issue,” he said.
Talk of Yakub’s resignation gained traction after a news portal claimed that he had submitted his resignation letter to Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi two weeks ago due to dissatisfaction over how the central leadership handled political cooperation talks for the upcoming state election.
His absence from the Umno supreme council meeting on April 30 further fuelled the speculation.
However, it is understood that Yakub had informed the party president that he would not attend the meeting, as he had to return to Sabah that evening after attending other engagements with the Sabah Umno team.
Reaffirming his stand, Yakub said: “I love Umno, then, now, and forever.”
