KOTA KINABALU 25th April 2011
Sabah Barisan Nasional and UMNO treasurer Datuk Haji Hajiji Haji Noor (above picture) has advised the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) not to practice what he calls ‘Crab Culture’ which is against the spirit of Barisan Nasional (BN).
“In crab culture, no one gets to the top because each crab is trying to pull the other down.
“As Sabah deputy chairman Datuk Seri Panglima Salleh Tun Said had pointed out, in Sabah BN and UMNO there is only one leader and that leader whom we support is Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Hj Aman,” added Hajiji who is also Sabah Minister for Local Government and Housing.
Hajiji pointed out that in politics one wins some and loses some and it is not easy to satisfy everybody, as in the case of BN which has many family members.
“As the saying goes, either you have the cake or you don’t, you can’t take the whole cake and eat it,” he stated.
Hajiji who is Tuaran UMNO divisional chief is the latest among State UMNO leaders who joined the chorus in coming to the defense of Musa following a recent statement by LDP deputy president Datuk Chin Su Phin calling on the Prime Minister to effect changes in the Sabah and Sarawak BN leadership.
The controversial LDP Deputy President, Datuk Chin Su Phin
The embattled LDP President, Datuk VK Liew
Yesterday, LDP president Datuk VK Liew said Musa “drew the line against the party by sidelining it” during the recent State Cabinet reshuffle due to some personal differences with the party’s members.
Hajiji reminded Liew that being a BN component party president and as a lawyer as he described himself, the latter should know better that the appointment of State Cabinet Ministers is the prerogative of the Chief Minister just as it is the right of the Prime Minister to choose his Federal Cabinet members.
Liew is a federal deputy minister in the Prime Minister Department.
He reminded that when a Minister is appointed, he is a Minister for all the people and not a Minister for members of a particular party only.
Thus, when no Minister is appointed from LDP, it does not mean that the Chinese are not represented. There are three Chinese members of the State Cabinet, with two from Gerakan and one from PBS.
Hajiji recalled that when former LDP president Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat was made Chief Minister despite the party having only three State Assemblymen, UMNO and other component parties supported both his appointment and choice of Cabinet members.
“We supported him all the way, be it as Chief Minister or State BN chairman, in line with BN spirit and principle. We did not question where he was from or how many seats his party got,” he stressed.
“Apart from Chong’s appointment, ever since BN took over the reins of the State Government, LDP leaders had also been appointed to various government positions including that of Cabinet Minister, Assistant Minister, Deputy Speaker, chairmanship of statutory bodies and so on. UMNO and other component parties never complained that they were sidelined,” he pointed out.
Hajiji also recalled that when cornered by reporters just before the Batu Sapi by-election late last year, Liew stated that LDP would work with and supported Musa’s leadership for the sake of BN solidarity, or something to that effect. He noted that Liew made that statement only after the LDP Congress in Tawau and not before.
Even then, Liew’s statement was once again ‘disputed’ by his deputy Datuk Chin who said that LDP was doing so only out of respect to and on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Hajiji advised that at a time when BN component parties are gearing up their machinery to prepare for the general election which may be held anytime, LDP should do likewise and not behave in such a way which may cause disunity among the components and the people as a whole.
“BN has proven to be the best formula for the multi-racial and multi-religious society of Malaysia so much so that even the opposition tried to copy us by forming a similar alliance.
“BN also practices politics of unity and goodwill among the various races. Let us together preserve this unity which is vital for the survival of the nation. It is therefore dangerous for LDP to tread along racial lines and try to create hatred of the Chinese community towards the Chief Minister.
“As Sabah BN Treasurer, as Sabah UMNO Treasurer and as Tuaran UMNO head, I unreservedly defend my leader and my Chief Minister – Datuk Musa Aman,” Hajiji concluded, saying that he was not defending blindly but more so because Musa has proven to be a good and effective leader, having brought economic progress to Sabah and the State Reserves to a healthy level.
He also noted that Musa led Sabah BN to election victory in 2008, making almost a cleansweep of both parliamentary and state seats.
All the best to Sabah!!!
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