Many ditching Usno, says Dzulkifli

Published on: Tuesday, March 20, 1984

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DAILY EXPRESS (March 20, 1984) - KOTA KINABALU, Mon. – Former Usno strongman Datuk Dzulkifli Abdul Hamid claimed today there had been a mass exodus of members from the party since it was under the threat of being expelled from the Barisan Nasional.

Datuk Dzulkifli, who returned last night from performing the Umrah, said that those who deserted Usno had not join any other party pending further developments in the Sabah political scene.

With its imminent expulsion from the Barisan Nasional, Usno was now in dire straits and would soon exist in name only, he added.

On a memorandum sent by Usno to Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir clarifying its position on the “stab in the back” charges, Datuk Dzulkifli said it would not serve any purpose as the government had sufficient proof of the involvement of some Usno leaders in opposing the move to make Labuan a Federal Territory and in the Constitutional Amendments issue.

What they should have done was to admit their wrongdoings and perhaps ask the Barisan leaderships to forgive them, he said.

Datuk Dzulkifli also said that he had directed his supporters to stay neutral in the coming by-elections for three state assembly seats in Sabah.

“I and my supporters will completely disassociate ourselves from supporting any party on the by-elections.”

He also said that the ruling party Berjaya would easily win the three seats of Sipitang, Sugut and Tawau Bandar.

The seat were vacated last week by two Berjaya and an independent assemblymen. – Bernama