Bung Warns Grs Don T Drag Umno Into Your Mess

---

 



Bung Moktar Radin has issued a warning to the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, cautioning it against implicating the state’s Umno lawmakers in the alleged corruption scandal.
The Sabah Umno chief urged GRS to acknowledge that its assemblypersons are involved in the matter and to refrain from any attempts to mislead the public.
“The (alleged) attempt to rope in Umno is a desperate move to cover up their own shortcomings,” he added.
Bung was responding to a Malaysiakini report on Monday that the whistleblower who revealed a slew of incriminating videos was offered a settlement.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) launched in 2022 now rules the Sabah state government with coalition chairperson Hajiji Noor as the chief minister.The businessperson claimed he was told that his revoked mineral exploration licences would be reinstated if he described the purported bribes as political donations.
He was also allegedly asked to issue a media statement that he had given similar funds to assemblypersons from Umno, Star, and PBS.
‘Ravenous, without principles’
Commenting further, Bung said what is more embarrassing is that the videos also featured former Umno lawmakers who switched camps during the political crisis in Sabah in 2022, pledging their support for Chief Minister Hajiji Noor.
Emphasising that Sabah Umno is grateful that such leaders have been removed, he said: “We do not want those who are ravenous and without principles in the party.
“Umno is now cleaner without them,” he added.
Four former Umno assemblypersons were implicated in the scandal - Deputy Chief Minister II Shahelmey Yahya, state industrial development and entrepreneurship assistant minister Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy, Sindumin assemblyperson Yusof Yacob, and Tempasuk assemblyperson Arsad Bistari.
Bung, who is also the Kinabatangan MP, is facing graft charges himself. Last November, he and his wife Zizie Izette Abdul Samad, were ordered to enter their defence on charges of corruption and abetment over a RM150 million Felcra investment.
Previously, Hajiji dismissed the corruption allegations against his government as an attempt to tarnish its reputation ahead of the state election which is due this year.
On Jan 21, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said the commission has wrapped up its investigations into two cases related to the mining scandal.
Apart from the videos, MACC also investigated the whistleblower and former Sabah Mineral Management (SMM) chief executive officer Jontih Enggihon over accusations of fraud. - Mkini

---