Posted on August 12, 2012, Sunday
KUCHING: Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Fadillah Yusof has deemed rumours that several state Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs might defect to the opposition in the coming weeks as mere fabrication created by the opposition to destabilise the unity within the BN.
Refuting rumours that he was among the BN members of parliament who might defect to Pakatan Rakyat (PR), Fadillah, who is Petra Jaya MP and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president, told reporters yesterday he had never even met with Pakatan de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to discuss leaving the Barisan.
He defined the recent online news report that he along with Santubong MP Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar as among those listed to defect BN as all lies and mere opposition’s propaganda.
“I have never met with Anwar. I supposed this is just another lie from Pakatan. To them, lying is a norm. I hope the people do not believe Pakatan and kick out all this type of leaders. Pakatan has been telling lies since Sept 16, 2008. Now they are starting another round trying to create disunity within BN.
“Tell them this strategy will not work in the state because Sarawak people are clever, not easily fooled or cheated by whatever tricks they are trying to use. Furthermore, the unity of BN here is very strong,” he stated when met during a charitable programme at the Matang area near here.
Referring to the former Deputy Prime Minister as the ‘old-days roadside medicine seller’, Fadillah explained that Anwar was already desperate to sell his ‘medicines’ (plans and vision) because everybody knows that these are all lies.
When asked if the conspiracy theory could have been instigated within the state BN itself to disrupt unity among members, Fadillah simply mentioned that the rumours could have come from anybody who is capable in creating and disseminating such rumours.
“It can be anybody. Everybody is capable of doing this but I believed this (rumour) was instigated by Pakatan. Whatever it is, I assure you the state BN is strongly intact,” he stressed.
Rumours were spreading like bush fire of late that several state BN MPs might follow in the footsteps of Sabahan MPs Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin (Beaufort) and Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing (Tuaran) who quit BN to join Pakatan last month.
Lajim, who was a Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government, had quit as Umno supreme council member, Beaufort Umno division chief and Beaufort BN chairman.
Wilfred resigned from his deputy president post of Upko (United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation), a component party of Sabah BN.
On Friday, an online news portal reported that the visit of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to the city
had spawned rumours that Anwar might be close to achieving his goal of convincing several state Barisan MPs to switch camps or declare their independence.
According to its sources, the online media claimed the ‘hasty’ visit by Najib to attend a breaking of fast ceremony with PBB leaders was aimed at convincing its 14 MPs to stay put with BN. Speculations are rife that the state BN will see some defections in the days leading to the 13th general election.
Sarawak has 31 parliamentary seats. The BN holds 29 seats through PBB (14), PRS (6), SUPP (5) and SPDP (4). The opposition has two seats through DAP.
It was also believed that Anwar had set a dateline of Sept 16 to arm Pakatan with more MPs leading to the next general election. Word on the ground has it that another eight more Sabahan MPs might jump in the coming weeks with Kalabakan MP Datuk Seri Ghapur Salleh and Datuk Bung Mokhtar (Kinabatangan) among those constantly mentioned.
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