Umno man clarifies meet with Najib

Some divisional chiefs hijack a July 10 meeting with the PM and propose a smooth transition of the Sabah leadership.

KOTA KINABALU: Umno divisional chief, James Ratib of Beluran, has clarified that although he was among seven other divisional chiefs who met with Prime Minister (PM) Najib Tun Razak on July 10, he was not party to their discussion with him on moving towards a “smooth transition of the leadership in Sabah”.

“The group had ulterior motives when three or four of them hijacked the meeting with the PM and proposed a smooth transition of the Sabah leadership,” said James in a statement.

“The meeting was supposed to discuss socio-economic issues.”

James was commenting on a statement by the Sepanggar Umno Division Chief Jumat Idris that he (James) was among the group that had a controversial meeting on July 10 to discuss a smooth transition of the leadership in Sabah.

James disclosed that he was invited by one of the participants of the July 10 meeting with the PM. He did not state categorically that he knew what the meeting was about.

“I thought it would be a rare opportunity to meet the PM,” said James. “I wanted to present him a list of development projects for my constituency as promised during the General Election last year.”

“I even signed a letter along with other participants to request for development funds.”

James stressed that when the issue of leadership was raised during the meet; he wanted to walk out but stayed back reluctantly out of respect for the PM.

He hopes that his statement, in which he also pledged his undivided support for “the PM and the Chief Minister”, would lay to rest all speculation regarding his attendance at the July 10 meet.

Umno Kudat division chief Bolkiah Haji Ismail, in a separate statement, said that the meet was “the group’s own initiative to meet the PM to discuss socio-economic issues and other developmental matters in their respective constituencies”.

He did not state whether he was among those who met with Najib.

He also did not say why only eight Umno divisional chiefs met with him.