PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has proposed for a unity government to be formed in Sabah, says state Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin.
This comes after Anwar told reporters last night he has given his blessings to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah chairman Hajiji Noor to continue as chief minister.
In declaring his support for Anwar’s suggestion, Bung said he is confident and certain that a unity government will be able to turn down the political heat in Sabah and stabilise the political situation.
“I also hope that the chief minister (Hajiji) will accept the prime minister’s suggestion with an open heart to ensure the best interests of the people of Sabah,” he said in a statement.
Bung had announced on Friday that Sabah Umno was retracting its support for Hajiji as chief minister for infringing the terms of a political agreement between them after the 2020 Sabah state elections.
However, Hajiji claimed he had the majority in the state assembly with the support of five of the 17 Sabah Umno assemblymen and seven from Sabah Pakatan Harapan.
GRS and Barisan Nasional are both part of Anwar’s unity federal government. Sabah BN had been part of the GRS-led state government, which was supported by KDM and other minor parties at the time.
Meanwhile, Bung said most of the Umno assemblymen will not be able to attend today’s special state assembly sitting as they will be going to Kuala Lumpur to attend the Umno general assembly, to be held from Jan 11 to 14.
“Nonetheless, we fully support the new state laws on gas supply which will be tabled in the sitting,” he said.
Anwar said yesterday two important bills, including one to hand over gas supply regulatory rights, will be tabled in the state assembly.
On Dec 21, he announced that the federal government has agreed to hand over Sabah’s gas supply regulatory power to the state government in an effort to restore the state’s rights and honour the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
