Bung
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional Chairman, Dato Sri Bung Moktar Radin believes that the opposition is trying to manipulate the term ‘cooperation’ that has been mentioned by Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) with the opposition party, Warisan Sabah.
He claims that some parties are manipulating the term to make it sound like a ‘political cooperation’.
Bung, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister said that he interprets the issue of cooperation raised by PBS prior to this, as related to the cooperation to develop the state, to raise the people’s economy which has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and other issues.
It is not a cooperation to set up a new State government, said Bung.
“Not only PBS, but all of us in Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) including Barisan Nasional, Umno and others would readily forge cooperation in the form of ideas and opinions to develop the State for the wellbeing of the people,” he said when asked to comment on the claim of a new government linked with PBS and Warisan.
Bung said that although the State government is governed by GRS, it does not mean that the government is deaf to the opinions and proposals of the opposition when it can benefit the state and the people.
“Even though they are the opposition, we will not shut our doors from hearing any proposals and urgings that are positive for the State and people. The role of the opposition is not merely to oppose but also to give good inputs for the good of all parties and we, the government will hear and refine every opinion and proposal. I think this is what is meant by the cooperation and not the cooperation to form a new government,” he said.
However, Bung admitted that he wasn’t aware of the issue that has been made viral on social media in the last couple of days.
Bung, who is also Umno Sabah chief, said that the whole matter was merely gossip and was being manipulated by unscrupulous parties to confuse the people.
“For Umno and Barisan Nasional Sabah, we are focused in the effort to develop the state for the welfare of the people just as they have mandated the GRS government to administer the State,” he said.
He also reminded that cooperation could exist in many forms and does not necessarily mean a coalition to create a new political party.
He also added that the controversy is not because of political issues but rather, because of the spread of fake news.
“I saw the statement made by Maximus (PBS President, Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili) on the matter and it is very clear but various wild speculations have appeared and twisted the story,” he said.
He then urged the people not to be swayed by the propaganda of irresponsible parties who have deliberately created an issue for their political benefit.