AFTER giving in twice to Bersatu on government positions, Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the coalition expected its ally to agree to its choice of Bung Moktar Radin as Sabah chief minister, The Star reported.

The Umno president said he had written a letter to Sabah governor Juhar Mahiruddin indicating the coalition’s choice of CM.

Zahid said the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition owed BN the post.

“We have given in twice – once in Perak, where Bersatu has only four state representatives and Umno has 25.

“Yet we agreed that a Bersatu assemblyman (Ahmad Faizal Azumu) be appointed the menteri besar of Perak.

“Also, when we formed the federal government with Bersatu and Gagasan Parti Sarawak, even though Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s party did not have the most MPs, we agreed that he would be the prime minister,” Zahid was quoted as saying in the report.

Zahid said denying BN the position would have consequences.

“Now, for us, if we do not get a BN (rep) as the chief minister in Sabah, the cost for BN in the future will be too much to bear.

“Our studies have shown that the impact would not be good for Barisan. I would not agree for Bung to concede to anyone else outside of BN to be the chief minister. No,” said Zahid 

He hoped Juhar would pick Bung Moktar.

Juhar is expected to announce his choice today.

In Saturday’s state elections, GRS won 38 state seats, the simple majority needed to form the Sabah government.

Its closest rival Warisan took 29 seats and its allies PKR and Upko, two and one, respectively. This gives them a total of 32 seats. 

Three seats went to Independents.

GRS is made up of Perikatan Nasional (17 seats), Barisan Nasional (14) and Parti Bersatu Sabah (7). 

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin launched the GRS pact just before the elections. – September 28, 2020.