
Anwar said he has discussed the matter with deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Hajiji, Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin, Warisan president Shafie Apdal and DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook.
“It looks like the situation is calm now and I don’t think there is any turmoil (in Sabah),” he told reporters after Friday prayers here when asked about the situation in the state.
“I don’t see any (new) developments. I was just informed that there were some issues, and I asked the chief minister (Hajiji) to discuss it with (our) friends in Sabah.”
A gathering of Sabah Umno assemblymen at the party’s headquarters in Kota Kinabalu yesterday sparked talk of a coup by the party and Warisan.
Speculation was rife that the state government would collapse after rumours surfaced that Sabah BN, led by deputy chief minister Bung, was in advanced talks with Shafie’s Warisan to unseat Hajiji’s government.
Hajiji leads a state administration which comprises 53 assemblymen in the 79-seat legislative assembly. Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) holds 26 of those seats, while Sabah BN has 17.
Warisan, with 19 seats, is the sole party making up the opposition.
The attempt backfired after six of Sabah BN’s 17 assemblymen refused to pledge their support to topple the state government, said Daily Express in a report.
Shafie was believed to have offered Sabah Umno four ministerial posts, the report said.
It said expectations were that the alliance between Sabah BN and Warisan would secure support from smaller parties and enable them to topple Hajiji, who took office following the state elections in September 2020.
However, they fell short of the 40 assemblymen required.
Yesterday, all the assemblymen from Sabah Pakatan Harapan (seven), Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) (seven) and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) (six) reaffirmed their support for Hajiji.
We are live on Telegram, subscribe here for breaking news and the latest announcements.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram