Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin has made it clear: state leaders who defied the coalition during the 2023 political crisis will not be allowed to contest in the upcoming Sabah election.
Speaking to reporters during a coalition walkabout at Gaya Street here today, Bung didn’t mince his words about the fate of the dissenters.
“We have taken the necessary steps, and I am very confident that after the next Sabah state election, such incidents will not happen again to UMNO and Barisan Nasional,” he said.
When asked if this meant the dissenting leaders would be barred from standing under the BN or UMNO banner, Bung was unequivocal. “Yes, they won’t be fielded,” he said, firmly shutting the door on any reconciliation.
A Crisis Rooted in Defiance
The upcoming Sabah election is set against the backdrop of a bitter political fallout.
In January 2023, Bung announced that Sabah UMNO and BN would pull their support from Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-led government.
He accused Hajiji of sidelining the coalition, pointing to a lack of consultation and broken political agreements.
However, five UMNO assemblymen—Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, Datuk Jasnih Daya, Datuk James Ratib, Datuk Yusof Yacob, and Datuk Mohd Arsad Bistari—chose to support Hajiji, ensuring his government retained a majority.
Some of these leaders have left Umno to be members of Gagasan Rakyat.
Their defiance was seen as a betrayal, with Bung accusing them of abandoning the party for personal gain.
Shahelmy for instance made deputy chief minister and public works minister, replacing Bung who held the position before the fallout.
“These leaders turned their backs on the party for position and power,” Bung had said previously, underscoring the depth of his frustration.
The dissenters’ loyalty to Hajiji did not come without consequences.
The five assemblymen later left UMNO, aligning themselves with Hajiji’s Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GAGASAN).
The political crisis not only exposed deep fractures within UMNO and BN but also solidified Hajiji’s hold on power in the state. – January 26, 2025
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