Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad refuted the allegation that he was plotting with Umno leaders to make Sabah Umno leaders quit the party, severely crippling the state Umno.
He said Sabah Umno leaders had their own mind and they are free to stay with Umno or leave the party.
“They had their own mind, if they don’t like to come out, they can stay,” he told reporters when asked if there’s a plot between him and Umno leaders to make Sabah Umno office bearers leave the party.
This came after the entire Sabah Umno liaison committee, including chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, and almost all the divisional chiefs announced their resignation from the party today,
The announcement was made by Hajiji at a press conference in Kota Kinabalu that five MPs, nine state assemblymen and two senators from Sabah Umno had quit the party with immediate effect.
Dr Mahathir, however, admitted that he had met with Sabah Umno leaders recently.
He said the leaders met and told him that they wanted to leave Umno.
“Yes, they came to tell me they want to leave Umno,” he said.
Asked whether Pakatan Harapan would accept them to join any of the government coalition party, Dr Mahathir said they would have to stay as independent and at the same time, they were free to support the government.
“I don’t know. We will have to see how they behave, if they are supporting and they did not do any wrong in the past, we will accept them,” he said after launching the first Proton SUV, Proton X70 here last night. – Bernama