Shafie said Hajiji, who is also Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman, was “desperate” to retain his position as chief minister after Perikatan Nasional (PN) failed to form the federal government after the recent general election (GE15).
“The chief minister making a statement to form a new political party to keep his position is not just proof of party-hopping but a betrayal of the mandate of the people of Sabah who voted for GRS when it was led by Bersatu and PN,” he said at a press conference here.
On Dec 10, Hajiji announced that Sabah Bersatu leaders and their supporters were leaving the party but would remain with GRS.
Hajiji said on Tuesday an announcement would be made soon regarding the status of the former Bersatu leaders.
Bersatu last month sent a notice to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul, informing him that there were “casual vacancies” involving four MPs who had contested in GE15 as Bersatu members. GRS then sent its reply to the Speaker.
Shafie said the current political “chaos” in Sabah after an alleged failed attempt to oust Hajiji as chief minister was Hajiji’s own doing.
He said any statement by Hajiji or his supporters could not stop speculation that his position as chief minister was untenable.
“Especially where Article 6(3) and Article 6(7) of the Sabah state constitution requires the chief minister to be the leader of the party that won a majority of the seats in the 2020 state election.
“The chief minister, having left Bersatu, is not a member or a leader of any political party at all,” he said.
Last night, Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno retracted their support for Hajiji on the grounds he violated a pact with BN, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) after the state elections in September 2020.
State BN chairman Bung Moktar Radin said the BN-Umno decision left Hajiji without a majority in the state assembly, adding that he “is no longer fit to be the chief minister”.
However, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) secretary-general Masidi Manjun insisted that the coalition continues to hold the majority as six Sabah Umno representatives did not agree with Bung Moktar’s decision to withdraw support for Hajiji.
GRS, led by Hajiji, has 29 seats in the state assembly. A simple majority of 40 seats in the 79-member state assembly is needed to form a new government.
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