Kota Kinabalu: Beaufort Umno Division Chief Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin denied he deliberately did not attend the Sabah Umno liaison meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, here, on Monday night.His Press Secretary, Japar Abdul Wahid, said the Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister is in China for a medical review.
When the letter informing him of the meeting arrived, he was already on leave, said Japar.
"So, he did not deliberately miss the meeting," he said. Japar said Lajim would be returning from China either on Wednesday or the following day.
He also said Lajim did not want the issue to be turned into an item for speculation. Local media (not Daily Express) on Monday said Lajim's no-show during the meeting gave further hints that he is leaving the party.
Sepanggar Umno Chief, Jumat Idris as well as Sabah Action Party (SAPP) President Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, recently urged Lajim to tell the truth about his alleged intention to quit Umno.
The calls followed reports of the latter attending functions by the opposition.
They said Lajim should announce his decision now instead of just before the next election.
However, the Beaufort MP denied this saying that the functions he attended were only festivity events.
It was rumoured that he is quitting the party for a Sabah-based party once headed by former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Mohd Salleh.
There was talk that he also met with opposition leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Singapore recently.
Lajim triggered Parti Bersatu Sabah's (PBS) downfall when he quit the party after the 1994 elections.
He and several other assemblymen in PBS hopped over to BN, a move that forced PBS President Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan to resign three weeks after he was sworn in as Chief Minister.
