KOTA KINABALU: Umno members in Sabah are not happy that none of their leaders were appointed to the new federal cabinet.
“Some of our members are angry and complaining that none of the Umno MPs from Sabah had been included in the cabinet,” said Sabah Umno chief Datuk Bung Moktar Radin yesterday.
The Kinabatangan member of parliament said he had proposed to party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to recommend appointing Kimanis member of parliament Datuk Mohamad Alamin as a deputy minister.
“However, this disappointment will not stop us from continuing to work for the betterment of the party and the people in the state,” he said.
Bung Moktar said he had urged party members to accept the decision and to move on.
“We will not ask for any position for now, it is up to the leadership. We are focused on what we’re doing, which is to win Sabah back,” he said.
Bung Moktar and Mohamad are the only two Sabah Umno MPs.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday appointed six Sabah MPs to his cabinet of 31 ministers.
Bersatu MPs in the state, Beluran’s Ronald Kiandee and Kudat’s Abdul Rahim Bakri, were appointed as Agriculture and Food Industries Minister and Deputy Finance Minister I respectively.
Parti Bersatu Sabah president Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili was named Minister in Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Sabah and Sarawak Affairs while Pensiangan MP Arthur Kurup from PBRS was made deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of economic affairs.
Sabah STAR president Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan, who is MP for Keningau, was appointed as Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister.