Tuaran MP, Datuk Wilfred Bumburing quitting BN, 29th July 2012

Source : The Malaysian Insider :

Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing announced today, 29th July 2012, he is quitting the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and pledged to aid the rival Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact in the run-up to key national poll due soon.

The former Sabah deputy chief minister said he would kick off a state-wide tour in support of the federal opposition ahead of the 13th general elections, speculated will be called this year.

He cited the widespread influx of illegal immigrants into the eastern state and Putrajaya’s oversight on this issue as among the chief reasons prompting his exit.

“This is the mother of all problems in Sabah,” Bumburing (picture) said in a delayed video broadcast on the UStream TV Merdeka Rakyat website.

The deputy president of the BN component party, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation’s (UPKO), was speaking at the launch of Angkatan Perubahan Sabah, a new political entity aligned to PR in Tuaran, on the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu earlier today

Bumburing pointed out that Sabah had seen an increase in illegal immigrants of 390 per cent, a rate that far surpasses neighbouring state Sarawak’s 146 per cent as well as the national rate.

“BN’s policy towards illegal immigrants is very dangerous because of (illegal immigrants committing) crime, making it difficult for citizens to get job opportunities, and threatening national security”.

“During Dr M’s (Mahathir) time, (there was a) policy to simply give identity cards to illegal immigrants, to foreigners,” said Bumburing, referring to allegations where BN had granted citizenship to illegal immigrants in exchange for votes.

“During the Parliament session, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced that he will set up a royal commission about this illegal immigrant issue, but he’s been to Sabah three times already, but there were no announcements when he was in Sabah.”

“And these more than 250,000 illegal immigrants come voting under the guise of being a Sabah native such as Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Bajau and so on,” he said.

His APS movement was earlier reported to be dominated by those from the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut communities.

He also said that the Sabah government’s approach had caused residents to be like refugees in their own state.

“When the people apply for land titles, the state government doesn’t give (them), but sends bulldozers to knock down houses,” said Bumburing, alluding to the native land rights’ issue in the state.

Also present was PKR’s de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar praised Bumburing for being brave and willing to let go of a comfortable life for the sake of Sabahans.

“I have previously said there will be a surprise from Sabah. But the surprise that I meant is not just Wilfred Bumburing or Lajim Ukin, the real surprise comes from Sabahans themselves,” he said after a warm reception by the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut communities in Tuaran today.

In Sabah, the deep-seated issue of illegal immigrants will likely be used as a key campaign issue in the coming polls, with the Najib administration holding the trump card for having finally agreed to investigate the issue by forming a royal commission of inquiry.

Federal seats in east Malaysia’s Sabah and Sarawak are expected to be PR’s focal point when the elections take place, as both states, including the federal territory of Labuan, make up a whopping 57 seats, or 25 per cent of the 222 parliamentary seats available.

In Election 2008, BN retained power over the Putrajaya administrative capital largely due to wins in east Malaysia and Labuan, where it made a near-clean sweep, winning 55 seats against PR’s two.

But the ruling pact lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority after only securing a five-seat margin ahead of PR in the peninsula, winning in just 85 constituencies while PR secured 80 seats.

Gambar Datuk Wilfred Bumburing keluar BN bersama Anwar Ibrahim di Tuaran, 29 July 2012

Timbalan presiden parti UPKO dan Ahli Parlimen Tuaran, Datuk Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing hari ini 29 julai 2012 umum keluar BN dan mewujudkan Angkatan perubahan Sabah, APS yang membantu pembangkang dalam pilihanraya umum ke 13 kelak.

Bumburing pemimpin BN Sabah kedua yang keluar BN dalam tempoh 24 jam lalu selepas Ahli Parlimen Beaufort, Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin.

Pengumuman dibuat di Tuaran dengan diharidi Lajim Ukin dan beberapa pemimpin pembangkang termasuk Anwar Ibrahim dan Tian Chua.

Antara sebab Bumburing keluar BN kerana melihat kerajaan Pusat tidak bersungguh sungguh menangani masalah pendatang tanpa izin di Sabah.

What is the real value of Lajim Ukin and WIlfred Bumburing who quit BN?

Tuaran Member of Parliament cum UPKO Deputy President, Datuk Wilfred Bumburing



Beaufort Member of Parliament cum Janang Gayuh or the Paramount leader of the Bisayas, Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin

This is an article by Free Malaysia Today

KOTA KINABALU: As Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing and Lajim Ukin prepare to render their speeches for their respective functions today, Sunday 29th July, 2012 political analysts here have a mix reading of their decision to leave the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition for the opposition.

It is debatable whether their withdrawal is an act of betrayal of people’s mandate or a vote of no confidence on their former bosses.

For the record, today, July 29, 2012, the two Sabah BN parliamentarians are ‘officially’ set to throw their support for Pakatan Rakyat, witnessed by its leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Ending months of speculations, both Bumburing and Lajim had a few days ago made it clear they were leaving Upko and Umno respectively for the opposition but did not declare which party in the Pakatan coalition they would join. Pakatan comprises DAP, PAS and PKR.

Many here are of the opinion that while their act could be seen as betraying the people who voted them as BN candidates in 2008, they are also however in agreement that the duo were in fact “listening” to their respective electorates.

A good number of ardent observers of politics in Sabah are also saying their acts were actually a “vote of no confidence” against Chief Minister Musa Aman and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

“If they still have confidence in both leaders, they would have stuck with BN which had been their only party all these years,” said one observer who preferred to be known as Alex.

Lajim wants Musa out

He opined that this argument (lost of confidence) was further strengthened by the fact that Musa, Najib and to a certain extent Upko’s president Bernard Dompok, could do nothing to dissuade the duo from leaving the coalition.

Lajim had in fact declared a few weeks ago that Musa needed to be replaced. It was also said that Lajim had conveyed this view to Najib in their recent meeting.

While many Umno insiders claimed that Lajim actually has the tacit support of Umno vice president, Shafie Apdal (Musa’s rival in Sabah Umno), observers are of the opinion that Lajim wanted to portray a picture of being “independent-minded” and that he scorned the suggestion of him being Shafie’s lackey.

An insider told FMT that both Lajim and Shafie “clicked” and were Musa’s nemesis.

“There’s no traces that Lajim is leaving Umno without Shafie’s blessing.

“It was just speculation, but things could have been different if Shafie is the state Umno chief, and not Musa,” said an Umno insider.

Secretly, Lajim’s boys have been whispering that Musa wanted to replace Lajim with his own man and this has agitated the Bisaya’s in Beaufort who see Lajim as their Janang Gayuh or paramount chief.

“What we could say is that Musa has failed as Sabah BN chief. And this is a big blow to Najib from Sabah. So Musa is now held responsible…” Alex further argued.

‘No betrayal’

Both Bumburing and Lajim had respectively won Tuaran and Beaufort seats in 2008 general election with a comfortable majority. The seasoned duo are expected to return still strong if fielded in the coming election despite an increasing support for the opposition.

Lajim, especially, is believed to be as strong as ever in Beaufort and especially in Klias state constituency which he had been serving and servicing well ever since he first won the seat in 1985.

Another political analyst who also requested anonymity, said the duo cannot be accused of “betraying” the people or coalition as they are leaving their former parties towards the very end of their five year term.

“So they should be exempted from such conclusion. What they are doing actually is a manifestation of a growing dislike among the majority electorates of the corrupt-ridden and condescending BN,” he said, adding that it would be a different story if they had left soon after the 2008.

At that time Bumburing’s name was openly mentioned in private conversations of Pakatan leaders to be among the MPs that would likely jump to Pakatan to tilt the number in its favour to pave for a Pakatan take-over of the federal government from BN.

However it never did materialise, giving Najib time to sustain albeit precariously, with only a razor-thin majority in Parliament.

Now with the duo having left BN, the vacuum in their respective areas is left to Musa to manage.

It would be a new problem for Musa, already embattled with the on-going investigation related to Swiss bank accounts accused stuffed with laundered money.

All the best Lajim and Bumburing and Musa Aman...