UNITED Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) left Barisan Nasional to support Parti Warisan Sabah because Umno was a bully, said Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau today.

Upko, he said, was under constant attack by former Barisan Nasional party mates Parti Bersatu Sabah and Umno for crossing over to Warisan after the May 9 polls, which saw BN defeated.

PBS acting president Maximus Ongkili had blamed Tangau for PBS now being in the opposition.

Earlier today, Tangau had a verbal match with Sabah Umno liaison chief Hajiji Hj Noor, who accused him for running away from the coalition.

“It is true that I had run away, as we wanted to escape the clutches of Umno.

“Now we feel more comfortable. We were constantly bullied (by Umno) before,” the Tuaran MP said after the state assembly sitting in Kota Kinabalu today.

According to Tangau, even if Upko contributed to BN’s defeat in Sabah, it was meant to ensure that Umno ceased to exist in the state.

“Perhaps they are better staying where they are in peninsular Malaysia.

“Look at Sarawak, they have no Umno. The culture of politics and governance is based on its own culture. Sabah wants to have its own culture too,” he said.

After the May 9 polls, Sabah was stuck with a hung assembly when BN and Warisan-Pakatan Harapan was tied with 29 seats each, leaving Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) to become the kingmaker with its two state seats – Bingkor and Tambunan.

When Star swung to BN on May 10, giving it a simple majority of 31 seats against 29 seats, Upko crossed over to Warisan, offering it and its electoral partner PH four state seats and a federal seat.

This gave Warisan the mandate to form the state government with a 32-seat majority over BN’s 27 seats.

Tangau told Maximus to stop condemning him, saying the 14th general election was over and that it was time to move forward and help Sabah progress.

“I want to take this opportunity to advise my old friend Maximus Ongkili to stop all the attacks. He blames us now that PBS is now the opposition in the state.

“In reality, BN had lost the state. BN only won 29 seats while PBS only won six of the 13 seats they were contesting. They all lost.

“BN would have won the election if PBS had captured the Tambunan and Bingkor state seats. But they did not,” he said.

Tangau said based on a popular vote study, 60% of Sabah’s voters voted for the opposition (Warisan-PH), and Upko had decided as it had because BN had already lost the majority.

Yesterday, Maximus slammed Tangau for being a “frog”, a derogatory remark meaning “disloyal politician”. – August 14, 2018.