Sabah PKR’s state liaison chief Pajudin quits to join Umno

Kuching
Saturday, 5th February 2011

Problem-ridden Sabah PKR took another blow after its recently appointed state liaison chief Pajudin Nordin quit to join Umno.

Pajudin’s abrupt resignation from the party on Saturday further complicates the ongoing leadership turmoil in Sabah PKR where 18 out of 24 division chiefs had been calling for his removal almost immediately after he was made state chief on Jan 9.

He quit one day before PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is due to meet state party chiefs to resolve the dispute.

Announcing his move to join Umno before Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman at the latter’s Seri Gaya official residence late Saturday, the 42-year-old Pajudin insisted his move had nothing to do with the no confidence move against him.

“I am disappointed with (PKR supremo Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim and (party president Datin Seri Dr) Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

“Their actions make Sabah PKR leaders look stupid. They say they respect the state but they have not done anything to resolve the problems faced by the party here.

“All Anwar and Wan Azizah have done is to make Sabah PKR irrelevant like how the party is elsewhere in the country.

“PKR has no direction, no real struggle and no credible leaders,” said Pajudin who joined the party in 1999 and was among the first of the party’s members in Sabah.

He said he did not receive any cooperation from Anwar and Wan Azizah in his efforts to strengthen Sabah PKR.

Pajuddin said more Sabah PKR division chiefs, disenchanted with Anwar and Wan Azizah, were likely to be resigning soon.

“On the other hand, I see the Prime Minister providing real leadership in the country as the Chief Minister is doing in Sabah,” he added.

Musa said he was not surprised over Pajudin’s intention to join Umno due to the turmoil in PKR in the state and nationwide.

“PKR has really lost its relevance,” he said, adding that he had been aware of Pajudin’s intention to join Umno for sometime.

“But we gave him time to make up his mind as to where his political allegiance lay.

“There was no coercion on our part. It was purely his intention after realising that the Barisan Nasional’s struggles are genuinely for the people,” Musa added.

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