JOHOR BARU, Sept 16 — Outspoken Johor Umno leader Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed today claimed that there are several dissident Umno leaders involved in a covert effort to form a ‘Trans-Borneo’ political pact to take over the country after the 15th general election (GE15).

The Johor Umno deputy chief claimed that the proposed pact involved a separatist faction from Umno who are planning a takeover with like-minded Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs and their counterparts from Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), being their main Borneo link.

"In conjunction with Malaysia Day, I want to share the latest news that there are two or three cursed Umno leaders who are making a secret move together with PAS to join with PN, BN and GPS after GE15.

"They are turning their backs on the party where the planned joint venture movement to Borneo (with GPS as a partner) was done in secret for the sake of gaining power and personal interests,” said Nur Jazlan in his latest posting on his official Facebook page this morning.

His revelation today further fuels the possibility of GPS joining forces with a BN-PN political pact after the next parliamentary elections in hopes of forming the next federal government.

Nur Jazlan did not name the Umno leaders involved in the plot, but they are believed to be against party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He explained that the particular Umno group is trying to weaken the Malay nationalist party from within in the hopes that they can influence the party’s leadership, as well as that of BN, to accept PN as a political ally.

"They are also willing to accept ex-Umno political frogs, who are now with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), in an attempt on orchestrating a reverse takeover of BN,” he said.

He claimed that the same group is actively trying to court GPS to accept their so-called ‘Trans PN-BN-Borneo’ project to establish a ruling coalition government after GE15.

However, Nur Jazlan said that GPS had disagreed and rejected the proposed plan by the dissident Umno leaders and their PN partners.

He said this was because GPS, in hindsight, knows that such ‘backdoor’ cooperation will not allow for a stable government.

"At the same time, GPS is also aware that if Umno splits internally then BN will cease to exist with both MCA and MIC at risk of collapse,” said the former parliamentarian and deputy minister.

Nur Jazlan Sarawakians do not need the ‘Trans PN-BN-Borneo’ political pact to improve their lives.

Nur Jazlan, who is also the Pulai Umno division chief, pointed out that the dissident faction is prepared to betray their own party’s struggle to continue their position and privileges in Putrajaya.

He noted that the faction, together with their Bersatu and PAS counterparts, have come to realise that their positions are quite fragile.

"This is the reason that these Umno leaders are trying their best to cooperate with PN and BN in a political marriage for their benefit.

"They know that a majority of Umno leaders and the party’s grassroots are opposed to any political cooperation with both Bersatu and PAS, who are the main parties in PN,” said Nur Jazlan.

GPS is an alliance of Sarawak-based political parties mainly made up of former BN parties after the May 2018 national polls. It is currently the fourth-largest bloc in the Dewan Rakyat and forms the state government in Sarawak.

At present, 19 out of 31 parliament seats in Sarawak are controlled by GPS.