GE13: Another of Hiew’s sidekicks ditches the DAP
Mujie (centre) hands over his application form to Dompok (3rd from right), meanwhile watch by Jimbangan (2nd from right) and several senior UPKO leaders.
Samantha Rae, Borneo Insider
PENAMPANG: Like some married couples who succumbed to the ‘seven-year itch’, Sabah DAP leader Edward Mujie too decided to ‘change partner’, after having fought alongside the party for the last seven years.
On Thursday, he followed the footsteps of his former party colleague Steven Jimbangan to quit the party to join Barisan Nasional (BN) through United Pasokmomogun KadazanDusun Murut Organization (UPKO).
Mujie who was Sabah DAP Vice Chairman cum Karambunai branch chief handed over his membership application form to UPKO President Tan Sri Bernard Dompok at Puru Lounge in Kampung Putaton, here.
Mujie’s exit from DAP comes barely a week after the party’s Kepayan chief Stephen Jimbangan and 128 of his supporters quit the party to join UPKO.
Like Jimbangan, Mujie too said his ‘change of heart’ was because he was both touched and impressed by the on-going efforts by UPKO, PBRS and PBS to unite the KDM community through ‘Gelombang Tataba’, a joint program the three KDM based BN component parties have initiated and launched last month.
Certainly, it had nothing to do with the fact that the DAP had earlier decided that both Jimbangan and Mujie would not be among its candidates for the 13th general election.
A hardcore critic of BN prior to this, he categorically stressed that his move had nothing to do with not being nominated as a candidate for the 13th general election.
A former Secretary of the Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council (KKMC) before it was elevated to a City Hall, Mujie earned his nickname ‘The Point Man’ for constantly pointing at bad roads, blogged drains, faulty lamp posts, manholes with missing covers, abandoned government buildings, etc.
“I started considering making the move soon after reading and hearing about ‘Gelombang Tataba’… I made up my mind voluntarily, no one coerced me into this decision because I look at this positively, for KDM community’s sake,” he said when asked how long it took him to decide to quit DAP and join UPKO.
To the question if his supporters may follow suit and join BN too, Mujie reluctantly replied, “wait-and-see”.
In a prepared statement distributed to the media, Edward noted that he was accepted in DAP in 2007 and that he leaves it to the rakyat to judge his track record as far as his service to the community is concerned all those years.
“Having considered all factors plus the current scenario, I have decided to relinquish all my posts in Sabah DAP and resign from the party with immediate effect. I wish all my former comrades the very best and good luck.
“I thank God for making me realize that the unity of the indigenous people is the most sensible thing to do now that the KDM unity is in disarray. I therefore would like to throw my full undivided support in the effort to unite the KDMs through ‘Gelombang Tataba’.
“With that I have decided to join UPKO led by Tan Sri Bernard as my platform to assist the accomplishment of the unity mission,” he said.
Mujie added that he found that UPKO is genuinely sincere in fighting for the rights of Sabahans especially the KDMs.
“UPKO is very vocal on all issues affecting the rakyat as well as in finding solutions to the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah where the Prime Minister Datuk Najib Tun Razak has finally agreed to set up the Royal Commission of Inquiry which is on-going now.
“The proposal for the re-issuance of MyKad which is mooted by UPKO is a daring move and deserves full support from all political parties and the rakyat,” he said.
“I admire Datuk Seri Najib’s courage in introducing new positive transformation in the country such as repealing the Internal Security Act (ISA), by recognizing Malaysia Day, implementing the GTP and ETP, his swift actions durng the Lahad Datu intrusion etc.
“Datuk Seri Najib among others has also successfully implemented non-qouta to the Holy Land, therefore it is only fair for all the rakyat in Sabah especially to give their undivided support to Datuk Seri Najib to achieve the required mandate so that he could effectively implement his sincere agendas in developing the country for the benefit of the rakyat” he said.
Meanwhile, when approached for comment, Dompok said Mujie’s joining of BN is a resounding testimony that UPKO, PBS and PBRS’ efforts to unite the KDM is gaining support from the people including the opposition.
