Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin has denied an allegation by Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor that he was unsupportive of the idea of a “Borneo bloc”.
Muhyiddin said the claim was baseless, insisting that his long-standing presence in Sabah reflected his commitment to the state’s development and interests, Sinar Harian reported.
“Recently, there was a statement issued. Why did he (Hajiji) betray us, claiming that I do not support the Borneo bloc?
“Since when did I ever say I do not support Sabah or the Borneo bloc? That’s a lie,” he was quoted as saying at a PN event in Tawau last night.
Hajiji made the claim at the Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah annual convention on July 27, saying a former federal leader had dismissed the idea of Bornean cooperation.
He recounted that he, Masidi Manjun and Jeffrey Kitingan had met the unnamed leader, who said he did not like the Borneo bloc and did not want Sabah to share its experiences with neighbouring Sarawak.
“I was shocked by his words. I thought about them for a long time. What did they mean? What was his intent? As I thought about it, I lost heart in these people,” he said in a video published on Facebook by Sabah Media.
Hajiji said it was only after much consideration that he decided that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah would support the formation of Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government.
