Sabah PPBM denies taking any files from Umno after quitting
KOTA KINABALU, July 18 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Sabah (PPBM) today denied taking any administrative files along with them as alleged by Sabah Umno Tuaran division leader Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.
Sabah PPBM secretary Datuk Ronald Kiandee rejected Abdul Rahman’s claims that the party had intentionally not handed over administrative files and assets belonging to Umno when some of its division leaders and elected representatives quit the party and joined PPBM.
“As far as we are concerned, we never brought files with us,” he said.
Kiandee reiterated that PPBM had a membership application that was voluntary and based on “quality over quantity”.
“I don’t know why is he insisting that we are registering Umno members against their will,” he said.
Abdul Rahman had said that there were at least 15 divisions whose leaders had left Umno, but had not released the administrative files belonging to the party over to the new leadership.
He alleged that some had taken assets such as office supplies, chairs, tables, air conditioning units and bank accounts with them.
Sabah PPBM deputy chief Datuk Masidi Manjun said his division had handed over the files in January.
He showed reporters during a press conference here, a photo of the symbolic handing over of files to the Acting Umno Division Secretary of Ranau Junaidi Sahat by the former divisional secretary Jahidin Lumat, who is now PPBM Divisional Secretary.
“Arrangement was also made to send over all remaining files and other assets belonging to the party which took five youth members to handle.
“They are welcome to come over to our Bersatu office to check if we are still keeping their files as alleged by Rahman Dahlan. We have moved on and we have no use of their files. In fact, we were eager to hand it over to them to make space for our own files,” he said.
As for the assets, Masidi said his division’s office was never in question.
“The office which used to be Ranau Umno Office was also my constituency’s Karanaan service centre. When the lease/tenancy of the office expires at the end of December 2018, my service centre continues with a new lease. We retained the assets of the service centre and handed over what belonged to Ranau Umno. There was never a dispute between us on the issue of ownership,” he said.
“The handover of their assets was done in a very cordial and friendly manner. In fact on a personal level we are still friends,” he said.
Yesterday, Abdul Rahman urged Kiandee to get in touch with the former Umno division secretaries involved so that they can return the files to the respective Umno divisions and their leaders.
He named Tawau, Kalabakan, Batu Sapi, Pensiangan, Kudat, Beaufort, Kota Belud, Tuaran, Putatan, Kota Marudu, Papar, Ranau, Semporna, Kimanis and Keningau as those whose handover was incomplete.
In December last year, some 21 former Umno Sabah divisional chiefs, nine state assemblymen, five members of Parliament and two senators left the party, citing no confidence in the new leadership and direction of the party. Most of them then joined PPBM.
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