Upko to stay with BN for now

By Luke Rintod of FMT

While Upko president Bernard Dompok has said
that the party will remain with Sabah BN,
insiders are sceptical.

PENAMPANG: Upko, the largely Kadazandusun-based party in Sabah Barisan Nasional, is unlikely to leave the coalition “before the general election” despite the persistent rumblings of discontent within its rank and file over Umno’s shabby treatment of the party.

Party president Bernard Dompok, who is also a federal minister, had indicated so and has reportedly pacified his deputy Wilfred Bumburing who is said to be toying with “jumping ship”.

But party insiders are sceptical. According to them, any changes will only happen after the 13th general election.

“We understand our president (Dompok) will field good winnable candidates under the BN banner, and that Upko would re-examine its position immediately after the conclusion of the general election.

“I think that is the line of thinking our president adopts… wait and see how BN and Pakatan Rakyat fare in the general election and from there make the strategic moves.

“He does not want to simply leave BN now and end up waiting who will form the federal government,” said one insider.

Upko was widely tipped to be the “most possible” component to ditch BN over its dissatisfaction with Umno.

Bumburing, on his part, has not reacted to Dompok’s persuasion.

Sources close to Bumburing claimed that Dompok had further assured the former that he will step down and make way for Bumburing.

Upko’s ‘fluid’

But Bumburing apparently is less trusting of Dompok and is undecided. He’s said to be weighing the wants of its supporters against continued kow-towing to Umno Sabah vis-a-vis federal policies.

Said a party division leader who declined to be named: “During conversations with Bumburing, you get the feeling that he wants to fight Umno-led BN in the coming election.

“You sense his anger at Umno-BN and his helplessness.”

According to the leader, Bumburing was very much in support of Jeffrey Kitingan’s Borneo Agenda, but was previously not keen on joining Jeffrey because the latter did not have a political vehicle.

But the situation has since changed. On Jan 6, Jeffrey joined the Sarawak-based State Reform Party (STAR) and became its Sabah chapter chairman.

Since then, STAR has recruited 60,000 members.

“We would not be surprised if he (Bumburing) leaves and teams up with Jeffrey as they seem to be on the same wavelength on several state rights and the way the federal government treated Sabah.”

According to the leader, Upko’s leadership is “fluid” and is aware that its members are moving away.

“I would not be surprised if suddenly Dompok himself takes the plunge. It all depends on how things go in the run-up to the polls.

“Already some of our members are leaving and there’s nothing Upko can do,” said the leader.

Meanwhile, all eyes are also on Umno kingmaker Lajim Ukin whose non-attendance at a meeting with Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin here recently raised eyebrows.

It fuelled speculations that all is not well between Lajim and Chief Minister Musa Aman.

Word is that Lajim, who is a federal deputy minister, will quit Umno and lead an opposition party, Sabah People’s Front (SPF).

Several other influential grassroots Umno Sabah leaders are said to follow suit.

When confronted recently, Lajim did not give a convincing denial of the rumours.

All he said was that there were groups who wanted to see the end of his political career.