High stakes ‘gamble’ in Sabah politics

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is unperturbed by the
aborted plans of two BN MPs who were supposed to
announce their defection yesterday.
By Joseph Tawie and Joseph Bingkasan of FMT
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah politics is all about hanging on to power and the latest postponement of the over-hyped “pullout” from the Barisan Nasional by two government MPs facing the axe in the coming general election stressed this.
United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) deputy president and Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing and Umno supreme council member Lajim Ukin, who is MP for Beaufort, are looking at ways to defend their seats in a desperate political gamble.
They were scheduled to declare their resignation at functions in Tuaran and Beaufort yesterday in the presence of PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.
But this has now been “re-scheduled” to next month, according to sources. Sources noted that the “new” date for the “jump” is Aug 26.
Both leaders were to quit the ruling national coalition but stay on as independent MPs until the dissolution of Parliament.
Earlier rumours were that both former Deputy Chief Minister Bumburing and Federal Housing and Local Government Deputy Minister Lajim would join PKR. However, they both have since denied this.
But an opposition leader here said it is an open secret that both leaders are in discussion with Anwar to defend their respective parliamentary seats under the PKR symbol.
“This has not gone down well with loyal Sabah PKR leaders. Should Tuaran be contested by Bumburing on a PKR ticket, there will be no place for local PKR leader Ansari Abdullah and Kalakau Untol,” the politician said.
Ansari is a senior lawyer and was among the pioneer leaders in bringing PKR into Sabah while Untol, a Tuaran-born leader, was a former federal deputy minister and one-time MP for Tuaran.

Anwar still open to Mps
In KUCHING, meanwhile, Anwar said Pakatan’s doors were still open to Bumburing and Lajim and “everyone” who is “clamouring for change”.
Responding to questions about the duo, Anwar said: “What is important is not just the positions of Wilfred Bumburing and Lajim Ukim.
“What is important is what the Sabahans want. Leaders must respect and respond accordingly.
“I certainly welcome them if they dare to respect the wishes and the sentiments of the Sabahans.”
Anwar was supposed to be in Sabah yesterday to personally welcome Bumburing and Lajim into the opposition fold. But instead he was in Kuching.
Many are of the view that Bumburing and Lajim are playing “tarik tali” with the BN leadership and that their much touted defection was merely a “wayang kulit” (shadow play).
But Anwar dismissive this view.
“The point the people in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak miss is that they must join force and demand for change in this country.
“It’s not just MPs and individuals, but everyone must clamour for total change.
“We certainly welcome people committed to reform, people who understand ‘Buku Jingga’ and the struggles and principles of Pakatan Rakyat.”
Another new organisation
Back in Kota Kinabalu, a political activist said that it was not unusual for politicians to have “a foot” each on both sides.
Said former PKR Sabah liaison secretary Kanul Gindol: “In politics everything and anything is possible.
“This whole issue [standing as 'independents' or under PKR banner] is about alternatives.
“If it is true, it is another possible arrangement for the benefit of those parties involved.
“While such arrangements have been done before in the Peninsula and Sarawak, it is not yet popular in Sabah,” said Gindol, who now heads his own NGO called Gindol Initiatives.
Gindol said that while Sabah has local opposition parties like the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Jeffrey Kitingan’s State Reform Party (STAR), the two BN leaders’ potential hop to PKR could shake up the opposition political scenario in Sabah.
He, however, said that it was too early to talk about the impact the MPs would make on state politics should they go ahead with their plans.
Apart from the Tuaran and Beaufort gathering, Anwar was also scheduled to officially launch the state’s latest organisation, Perikatan Perubahan Sabah (PPS), which is jointly headed by Bumburing and Lajim.
Not much is known about PPS but it is learnt that this will be a body where state leaders such as former MPs, former assembly members and incumbent lawmakers not in the list of their parties’ candidates for the general election will group together to contest in the election.


Read more: Here

44 comments:

  1. NO to Lajim and Bumburing useless frogs...

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    Replies
    1. O2: NO to Lajim and Bumburing useless frogs.
      AI: KU, apa pandangan kau khasnya di Tuaran.
      KU: Bos, O2 itu betul tapi tapi .......
      AI: Apa tapi? jelaskan ler
      KU: Useless frogs lebih baik drpd hopeless toad yg kini dlm Pkr Sabah
      AI: Itu KL tahu bukan yg baru. Kalau tidak kita pun tidak ambil sampah jer
      02: Same-same aje
      KU: Bos, kita tidak ambil mereka sajalah. Bagus juga kalau mereka tidak lompat, orang tempatan tidak happy jika sambut mereka.
      AI: Too late, kami sudah janji. Tunggu jer lah tengok mereka berani lompat tidak. Itu pandangan local tidak mustahak. Kita yg buat keputusan bukan mereka. Tahulah budak2 memang mcm itu perangai.
      KU: Baiklah bos. Saya akan atur tarikh baru lompat sikatak lompat.

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    2. If Lajim and Bumburing are useless frogs, why are PKR so desperate to welcome them to their party?

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    3. PKR dah terdesak.. ramai pemimpin mereka dah keluar. terpaksa nak tarik Lajim dan Bumburing.. tp tk berjaya.

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    4. PKR memang dahh terdesak, inginkan Lajim dan Bumburing dalam parti mereka.

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  2. Nah ini lagi sejarah betul. Di dalam Perlembagaan Sabah dinyatakan berikut dalam Artikel 1.

    THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF SABAH
    PART I
    THE STATE GOVERNMENT
    Chapter 1 — The Head of State
    1. (1) There shall be a Head of State for Sabah, to be called the Yang di-Pertua Negara, who shall be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong acting in his discretion but after consultation with the Chief Minister.

    Akan tetapi kerajaan Sabah dan ahli politik masa 1970an telah tukar TYT Yang DiPertua Negara kepada Yang DiPertua Negeri.

    Apa macam kalau kita ikut cadangan untuk tukar balik kepada yang asal, Yang DiPertua Negara. Sabah sebuah negara bukan?

    Tapi didalam Buku Jingga, Pakatan akan layan Sabah sebagai sebuah negeri, 1 daripada 13 negeri. Kuasa autonomi yang dijanji oleh Pakatan ialah sebagai sebuah negeri. Ini sama dengan pendirian Umno/BN.

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    Replies
    1. jadi kalau pilih PR pun sama juga lah tu kan...kedudukan sabah sebagai rakan kongsi dan sebuah negara disisihkan...betulkah Anwar? komen sikit..

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  3. Biarlah Lajim lompat dari Umno dan paking di PKR tapi buat apa Bunmburing kluar tapi pi paking sana PKR, knapa tidak join force sama Dr Jeffrey sahaja, kan lebih kuat team Agenda Borneo?

    Pentingkan diri sendiri sahaja Bumburing n co kalau begitu,, suka hati kamu lah tapi tingulah akibatnya nanti kamu kena hukum rakyat sendiri...

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    1. WB pentingkan diri? Gila kuasa? Sekarang Upko hanya ada 4 MP dan 6 DUN tapi WB minta 16 kerusi tanding guna Pkr. WB lebih besar daripada Upko kah?

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    2. WB pentingkan diri kah? ya kah?

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    3. sebabnya hanya Anwar saja yang boleh bagi mereka jawatan TPM..

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  4. yang saya tahu, ini hanya khabar angin...dulu cakap bulan Jun, lepas tu cakap bulan julai, trus cakap lagi bulan ogos..apa nie?

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    Replies
    1. ini hanya khabar angin saja, sampai sekarang tiada apa-apa pun.

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    2. Memang ini setakat khabar angin sahaja.. Dua pemimpin ini tidak akan lompat parti.

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  5. tengok ah kamu, dia cakap 26 ogos...tiada juga tu nanti...KHABAR ANGIN saja...

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    Replies
    1. Tidak payah nak layan khabar angin yang tidak berasas seperti ini, ini taktik pembangkang untuk mengelirukan rakyat.

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  6. lajim dan bumburing sudah menjelaskan pendirian mereka kekal bersama BN...

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    Replies
    1. Kalo kasi projek kasi 10 juta kasi tanding kekal BN kah?
      Kalo tidak kasi projek tidak kasi 10 juta tidak kasi tanding kekal BN kah?

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    2. Haha, Lajim dan Bumburing tidak pernah kata nak keluar parti, PKR saja yang bertepuk tangan sebelah.

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  7. Datuk Lajim Ukin and Wilfre Bumburing have no intention to leave the party to join the opposition. It takes two to tango, PKR.

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  8. Tepuk sebelah tangan tak akan berbunyi. PKR berharap dua pemimpin ini akan mengikuti parti mereka, tapi mereka tidak berniat untuk membuat demikian.

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    Replies
    1. ada pihak yang sengaja mainkan isu ini untuk jejaskan BN.

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  9. Lajm dan Bumburing masih lagi dgn BN. mereka tak lompat parti pun.

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    Replies
    1. Belum lompat bukan tak lompat. Syarat belum ngam, belum dapat. Bila semua dalam tangan, umum umum lompat lompat.

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    2. ya, sampai sekarang pun dua pemimpin ini masih lagi dalam BN.

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    3. Pasti lajim & Bumbering akan menentukannya.

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  10. PKR amat berminat dengan Lajim dan Bumburing..tapi dua pemimpin ini sudah jelaskan yang mereka tetap bersama BN.

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  11. isu yang dimainkan berkaitan Lajim dan Bumburing hanyalah khabar angin, kerana sampai sekarang pun mereka masih lagi bersama BN.

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    Replies
    1. I think that all just only rumor.

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  12. I can't wait to see Anwar retire from political.

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    Replies
    1. Anwar cakap beliau akan bersara jika kalah dalam PRu13 ni

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    2. Biarlah Anwar sendiri yang menentukannya.

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    3. I don't think he will retire from politics unless he already get what he want..

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  13. Lajim publicy announced that he doesn't mind being sacked by UMNO as he will be joining PKR, PAS or DAP depending on the wishes of his supporters.

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    Replies
    1. Lajim actually waiting to be sacked by umno top leader in order for him to get sympathy votes..

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  14. Lajim has the potential to withdraw from UMNO but Bumburing seems to be more loyal with UPKO.

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    Replies
    1. Ingat saja apa yang Lajim buat pada tahun 1994.

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  15. Selagi tiada kenyataan rasmi yang mereka keluar parti, maka ia hanyalah khabar angin.

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  16. Semua ini cuma khabar angin yang belum disahkan.

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  17. Jika sudah tidak sehaluan, tidak perlu kerjasama.

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  18. To some extent the rumors seems true also.

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    Replies
    1. even the rumor is true, but I don't think Pakatan will be able to topple BN in this state.. Pakatan still need to face STAR and SAPP..

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  19. Anwar sebenarnya telah gagal meyakinkan rakyat tentang kemampuan beliau memimpin negara ini.. sebab itu dia terpaksa hasut MP dari parti lawan untuk melakukan sabotaj..

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  20. jika Anwar yakin bahawa beliau mampu merampas puterajaya, tidak perlulah beliau menggunakan cara jijik ini untuk menjatuhkan parti lawan.. masa PRU12 juga Anwar menggunakan cara yang sama sehingga YTL membawa Sapp keluar dari BN..

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