KOTA KINABALU, Dec 10 — Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said he will stay on as the last Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) MP in Sabah, after insisting the mass departures today would not “end” the party in the state.
Earlier today, Sabah Bersatu chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor announced that Sabahan leaders, including elected lawmakers, were leaving the party and will temporarily park themselves under Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.
“I am still Bersatu’s Beluran division chief. I am staying put,” Kiandee said when contacted by the media.
Kiandee, who is a Bersatu vice president, said that he was not informed or invited to a meeting to discuss the matter.
“I heard they had a gathering on Friday night when they made the decision. I was not invited or informed of it,” he said.
Kiandee insisted that Bersatu in Sabah was still intact despite the mass exodus today, alleging that the mass departures were announced without the agreement of some leaders and members.
“I know some of the division chiefs have second thoughts over the decision. It is their right to choose whatever vehicle they want. They can justify their move with whatever reasons, but the party members have the right to make their own decisions.
“Bersatu is here in Sabah to stay, we will rebuild it,” he said.
Kiandee said that he was confident can rebuild the party in no time.
However, Kiandee himself may have given impetus to Hajiji's move to abandon Bersatu today.
The former agriculture and food industry minister was the lone Perikatan Nasional candidate in Sabah in the last election, having contested and defended the Beluran seat for the sixth time after Hajiji allocated his seat to Barisan Nasional under an electoral seat sharing pact between GRS and BN.
Earlier today, Hajiji, who is also the Sabah chief minister, said that they made the unanimous decision to leave Bersatu after considering Malaysia’s current political landscape and taking into consideration the Agong’s advice for the formation of a unity government at federal level.
Hajiji said that the state government helmed by GRS and BN wanted to ensure economic recovery and that its aspirations of the Borneo Bloc to see that the Malaysia Agreement or MA63 will be fully implemented.
He said they would transition to a local party in time but for now would remain as GRS.
