Malaysia: Umno getting too close to PAS, becoming racist, say Sabah defectors

• THE fear of Umno becoming too Islamic-centric and getting closer to PAS were the main reasons for the exodus of its Sabah members, sources said.
• They said former Sabah Umno liaision chief Hajiji Mohd Noor, who led the exodus, was referring to the growing friendship between Umno and PAS when he said the Umno leadership lacked political direction.
• They were also spooked when at the recent anti-ICERD rally in Kuala Lumpur, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi declared that Umno and PAS could work together.
• These recent developments also upset Sabah Umno’s 100,000 non-Muslim members, the source said. “They complained that Umno was becoming too Islamists and racist,” the source added.
• The source added that they were also upset that despite repeated calls to Zahid and the Supreme Council for autonomy, these were ignored.
• This simply meant Sabah Umno could not make decision for its own members, always having to rely on party leaders in the peninsula.
• Adding fuel to the fire, Zahid has hinted at Umno’s cooperation with PAS as the future of Sabah Umno’s fate lies on shaky grounds.
• He said that the cooperation between the two parties was currently based on common issues that were agreed upon, but did not rule out future collaborations between the two parties.
• “I am thinking of a permanent collaboration that will be discussed when the time comes,” Zahid said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
• The statement comes in light of Sabah Umno’s restructuring and reshuffling that saw Bung Moktar Radin appointed as Sabah Umno liaison committee chairman, hours after the departure of party MPs and assemblymen in the state.
• Meanwhile, Pakatan Harapan would welcome the assemblymen and lawmakers who left Umno, provided they supported the coalition and had not done anything wrong in the past, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said on 12 Dec 18.
• He said he met last week with the elected representatives, who informed him of their intention to quit the Malay party.
• Before they were admitted into the fold, however, the Pakatan Harapan chairman said the ex-Umno members must remain independent for a time.
• Dr Mahathir declined to say whether it was true that he had worked with Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein to engineer the exodus.

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