Bung denies alleged Anwar proposal for Sabah Umno-GRS pact

Summary

• Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin refutes claims that there was a proposal from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for Sabah Umno to collaborate with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

• He reaffirms his division’s refusal to do so after reports emerged of the proposal’s existence, with claims that 22 out of 25 state division leaders were reluctant to work with GRS.

• Reports suggest Anwar proposed a seat-sharing deal, but while some Umno leaders were open to it, Bung dismissed the claim as speculation.

Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin has denied receiving any suggestion from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for the state division to collaborate with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) in the upcoming state election.

Instead, Bung reiterated that Sabah Umno has consistently refused to work with GRS.

“I think this is just speculation. I have not heard of any directive to cooperate with GRS. As the Sabah Umno chief, I have consistently stated that Sabah Umno will not cooperate with GRS.

“From the beginning, since we left the GRS government, Umno has maintained that we have no intention whatsoever of working with GRS,” he was quoted as saying by Sinar Daily.

The Kinabatangan MP has been a vocal critic of the GRS administration, even calling it the most “ineffective government” in the state’s history in December last year.

Speculation over the matter arose following reports that key state Umno division leaders had expressed reluctance to collaborate with the GRS coalition, led by its chairperson, Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor.

Several reports claimed that 22 out of 25 Sabah Umno division leaders opposed working with Hajiji, allegedly due to GRS’ failure to honour an agreement before the state election in September 2020.

This issue reportedly stemmed from an alleged proposal by Anwar for both parties to form an electoral pact ahead of this year’s state election, which is due by December.

Equal seat distribution

According to The Star, a source claimed that Anwar presented the proposal to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and several Sabah Umno leaders earlier this year in a meeting.

The proposal allegedly suggested an equal distribution of 73 state seats among BN, GRS, and Pakatan Harapan, with each coalition contesting approximately 24 seats.

While Zahid and Sabah Umno deputy chief Abdul Rahman Dahlan allegedly responded positively, Bung was reportedly hesitant, believing such an arrangement would weaken Sabah Umno.

However, Bung denied that any such meeting had taken place

“There was no meeting. That might also be speculation. No names were mentioned, it was just an assumption from the portal report. But if this is what they are saying - cooperation with GRS - we definitely do not want it and do not agree.

“Under them (the GRS government), our positions were removed, allocations were not given, and now suddenly we are supposed to cooperate with such a party? It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

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