SABAH UMNO LOSES TWO MORE LEADERS TO PKR

Sabah Umno loses two more leaders to PKR

Dr Ibrahim Menudin, the present chairman of Sabah government-owned Suria Capital is set to be PKR's candidate for Labuan.

TUARAN September 16, 2012: Sabah Umno has lost two more of its founding leaders to rival PKR when corporate figure Dr Ibrahim Menudin and former federal deputy minister Yahya Lampong ditched it for the opposition.

Menudin was Sabah Umno’s former treasurer and presently chairman of Sabah government-owned Suria Capital, an investment arm of the state. He is set to resign from his lucrative post.

Both were present at the Pakatan Rakyat’s function to commemorate the 49th anniversary of Malaysia’s formation in 1963, at a restaurant in Tuaran near here Saturday evening.

Pakatan Rakyat supremo and PKR advisor Anwar Ibrahim announced the formal reception of the duo at the function attended by at least 3,000 people last night.

“Tan Sri Ibrahim loses about RM60,000 or RM70,000 (monthly perks) for joining PKR but that he does it for the people,” Anwar said amid applause from the audience who kept their spirit high despite intermittent downpours at the function which culminated into fireworks show at 12am midnight.

Ibrahim had earlier made his decision known in a Labuan function attended by Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, who was also present at last night’s event. He is now poised to become Pakatan’s candidate in Labuan.

In fact Pakatan came in full force for the Malaysia’s 49th anniversary. Among those who attended were PAS president Hadi Awang, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng who is also Penang Chief Minister, PKR vice president Azmin Ali, DAP secretary-general Mustaffa Ali, Husam Musa, Tian Chua, William Leong, Zuraida Kamarudin and others.

Organising chairman Lajim Ukin in his welcoming speech said Malaysia has come of age and it is time a new government led by Pakatan treats Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners to Peninsular Malaysia in the federation.

“BN will not treat us as equal partners but Pakatan has pledged to restore our rights and therefore we must support for change for the better of not only Sabah and Sarawak but for the whole nation,” he said.

‘Not a loss for Umno, BN’

Also making short speech was Wilfred Bumburing, the former Upko’s number two, who had handed over the Tuaran parliamentary seat to Pakatan.

Both Lajim and Bumburing are still partyless and are heading their respective movements of change, hoping to use one of the Pakatan party symbols at the coming general election.

Speculations had been on for quite sometime for Ibrahim to join PKR, and it is said that more from Umno will follow suit at a purposefully staggered announcements for impact reason.

Among those regularly mentioned to ditch Umno for Pakatan are former chief minister Osu Sukam, Kalabakan MP Ghapur Salleh, Kinabatangan MP Mokhtar Radin, Silam MP Salleh Kalbi, Pantai Manis assemblyman Abdul Rahim Ismail, and Bongawan assemblyman Karim Bujang.

Meanwhile, the principal political secretary to Musa, Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan when contacted, brushed off the notion that those ditching would have impact on Umno’s or BN’s chance in the coming general election.

“Let them…they have been friends with Anwar since 1991 and they wanted to be election candidates, maybe they have no chance (to be fielded) in BN,” he said when asked about Ibrahim and Yahya.

Luke Rintod

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Bekas timbalan menteri Yahya Lampong sertai PKR

Penyertaan Ibrahim ke PKR tidak gugat BN Sabah, kata Shafie Afdal