Bersatu minister told to resign after calling Sabah Umno 'unpopular'
Rural Development Minister Abdul Latiff Ahmad has drawn flak from his former colleagues in Umno for claiming that the Malay-based party was no longer popular in Sabah during a livestream yesterday.
In a statement today, Umno Youth demanded for Abdul Latiff (above), who left Umno and is now in Bersatu, to resign as a minister over his insulting remark.
"Moreover, such an insulting statement was uttered by someone who had betrayed us by dumping the Umno ship during a storm, even when the ship made him the Mersing MP," said Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
"For the sake of the party's dignity and the harmonious relationship between the allies of the Perikatan Nasional ruling government, Umno Youth stands firm in demanding Abdul Latiff to quit as a minister," he said.
"We will not allow the party's dignity to be humiliated with such insulting remarks after his betrayal," Asyraf stressed.
In a livestream talk at Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) yesterday, Abdul Latiff elaborated on the phenomenon of political defection in Sabah.
"Sabahans don't call it defection but migration. It is normal for (politicians) to leave Berjaya (Sabah United People's Party) to Usno (United Sabah National Organization) and later to PBS (Parti Bersatu Sabah). From PBS, they went to join Umno.
"Now Umno is no longer popular... I mean Umno... the party in Sabah. That's the reality because they no longer enjoy the confidence of everyone. So, they (former Umno lawmakers) defected. They migrated to Bersatu," said Abdul Latiff.
Meanwhile, Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin stressed that Umno is not dying, but it will rise from past mistakes.
"Sabah Umno is not dead and it remains relevant. We will rise again from past mistakes," he said, as quoted by the party's mouthpiece Umno Online.
Bung (above) countered Abdul Latiff by saying there was no such "migration culture" but instead there was a culture of buying over lawmakers to retain power as, Bung claims, is practised in Bersatu.
He criticised Abdul Latiff for prioritising his political career by winning a Parliament seat the ticket of Umno/BN but subsequently jumping to Bersatu.
"And after supporting Pakatan Harapan, he is now working with Umno in the PN government. You are now the rural development minister. Is that migration? To return back to the same place to work with Umno again and to hitch a ride on political power just to become a minister?" Bung questioned.
Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan warned the Bersatu minister not to test Umno's patience.
"Bersatu must portray its sincerity (in its cooperation with Umno in the PN government)," he said, adding that Umno had made many sacrifices after the collapse of Pakatan Harapan government.
"I hope the Bersatu leadership could respond and immediately rectify the situation. I don't want to interfere with Bersatu's internal affairs - it's up to them to act but something must be done," he said.
