Tuaran MP quits BN division chief post, signalling shift in Sabah politics
KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing has quit his Barisan Nasional (BN) division chairman post, signalling a political shift that could tilt the balance in key national polls due soon.
Bumburing, who is also deputy president of the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO), had previously been rumoured to make a switch to political rival PKR, a move that would boost the opposition camp's strength in Sabah in the run-up to the 13th general elections, shaking the ruling BN's grasp on power in a state long considered a fixed deposit for votes.
“I have hereby effective July 23, 2012, resigned from the post as Barisan Nasional chairman for P-170 Tuaran," the senior politician was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper today.
The English-language daily reported that Bumburing had faxed in his resignation letter directly to the BN headquarters here, apart from sending a copy to the office of Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman, who is also the state BN chairman.
But he did not indicate if he was quitting UPKO, the paper reported.
“I will be making an important announcement with regard to the future direction of my political struggle during a special gathering at Dalit, Tuaran this Sunday at 1pm," he was reported to have said in his media statement.
Bumburing (picture), 60, was reported to have called on people who were “free and have the time” to join the gathering, which will coincide with Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's visit to the Borneo state this weekend.
The Tuaran MP has been among several Sabah BN lawmakers who have been very vocal on state issues such as flood mitigation and a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on the problem of illegal immigrants who have fast-tracked for citizenship.
Bumburing's latest move has only increased speculation that he will be joining PKR, which failed to materialise last month despite both PKR and UPKO leaders telling The Malaysian Insider his defection was imminent.
Other individuals named as potential defectors were former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Osu Sukam, UPKO vice-president Senator Datuk Maijol Mahap, former Banggi assemblyman Datuk Amir Kahar Mustapha and former federal minister Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam.
Last month, a confident Anwar had claimed during a dinner function of a marked improvement in support for the opposition in Sabah, a known BN fortress.
The PKR de facto leader, when predicting that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would take its seat in Putrajaya after the 13th general election with a “comfortable majority” win, had also hinted of a “surprise” to be announced soon in Sabah.
The “surprise”, he claimed, would change the entire political landscape of the state where in Election 2008 BN had swept 59 out of 60 state seats and 24 out of 25 parliamentary seats.
Federal seats in east Malaysia’s Sabah and Sarawak are expected to be PR’s focal point come the elections 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.
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 RCI.