Clears Air On ‘Political Frog’ Saga In Sabah

KOTA KINABALU — Parti Bersatu Sabah deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili has clarified that he was merely referring to the history of Sabah politics and stating the facts involved when commenting on “political leap-frogging” in Sabah.

In a statement here today, he said he had never intended to hurt or attack any personalities and neither was he targeting any individual when commenting on the recent action of three Barisan Nasional members in Sabah who defected to the opposition.

The Science, Technology and Innovation Minister was referring to a news report on his comments on Barisan leaders Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin, Datuk Wilfred Bumburing and Datuk Maijol Mahap who recently jumped ship.

Ongkili was asked yesterday by reporters on whether there would be a repeat of the 1994 state polls where several prominent Sabah politicians had left the then opposition PBS to defect to Barisan Nasional.

“In naming those who had indeed defected in the 1994 political episode of Sabah, I did not have malice towards any leaders. I was purely illustrating how during that episode in the 1990s the people of Sabah had reacted towards politicians who had crossed over,” he said. – BERNAMA

Maximus Ongkili