Sabah BN remains resilient despite defections: Musa

BEAUFORT (Sept 16, 2012): Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said today Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) remained unshaken despite the defection of two more leaders to the opposition yesterday.
He said Sabah BN would remain strong and united despite the departure of former federal deputy minister Datuk Yahya Lampong and corporate figure Tan Sri Ibrahim Menudin to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
"What is more important is for us to face the next general election with enthusiasm to ensure a major victory for the BN in Sabah and the country as well," he told reporters after opening the Beaufort Umno Division delegates meeting, here. 

Musa, who is also Sabah BN chairman, was asked to comment on the defection of Ibrahim and Yahya, as announced by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Labuan and Dalit, Tuaran, yesterday. 

Also present at the event were Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin, Sabah Umno Liaison Committee deputy chairman Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak, Sabah Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun and Beaufort Umno Division acting head Isnin Aliasnih.

In the 2008 general election, Sabah BN won 59 of the 60 state seats and 24 of the 25 parliamentary seats, losing the Sri Tanjung state seat and the Kota Kinabalu parliamentary seat to the opposition. 

Musa said the BN state government would continue to develop the state.
"We are thankful to the national leaders for having allocated huge sums of money for us to continue to develop Sabah as desired by the people," he said. 

Earlier, in his speech, Musa urged the people of Beaufort to support the candidate the party leadership would propose for the parliamentary seat in the next general election. 

"I promise to develop Beaufort, because this is where I come from. We will plan and develop Beaufort and, God willing, we will be successful. I am not standing here because I wish to give others from here a chance to contest in Beaufort," said Musa whose seat, Sungai Sibuga, is in the Libaran parliamentary constituency. 

The Beaufort MP is Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin, the former Umno Supreme Council member, who has defected to the opposition along with Tuaran MP and former United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) deputy president Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing.
Musa said the opposition pact, which administered four states, was afraid that the BN would recapture those states as they were facing many problems with their failure to deliver on their electoral promises. 

"Now, they are coming to Sabah and wanting to teach a duck to swim," he added. Musa said he hoped that the people of Sabah would not be fooled by their sweet promises to garner support in the next general election. – Bernama