Yusof applies to join BN
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman cum Umno Sabah chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said he has in principle, received the application form from former Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) information chief Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob to join the party.
He said an announcement would be made in the next one or two days.
Bung, who is Deputy Chief Minister, said that when asked whether he had received Yusof’s application to join BN at the Sabah BN Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house, which was graced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob at Magellan Sutera Harbour here on Thursday.
Yusof, who is Sindumin assemblyman, quit Warisan in October last year to become an independent who supports the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) State Government.
Bung said he had asked Yusof to consider joining BN for a long time but the right time had not arrived.
Nevertheless, he said BN is open to accepting Yusof into the coalition.
When pressed further, he said BN, in principle, had accepted Yusof’s application form.
Meanwhile, Yusof, who was present at the event, said he had made a decision on his political direction but had yet to make an announcement.
Asked if he has conveyed his wish to join BN, Yusof said he had filled in the application form.
He added that there was a need to look forward and provide guidance and leadership to the younger generation.
“We should be thinking about Sabah and our younger generation.”
He also reiterated his support for GRS and Ismail Sabri as Prime Minister.
Yusof said Ismail Sabri’s presence in Sabah showed that the latter is always with the people of Sabah, which forms the basis for leaders to voice their aspirations for the state.
Also present at the event were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman, Umno secretarygeneral Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, Sabah MIC president Peer Mohamad Kadir, MCA deputy secretary-general cum Sabah MCA Women chief Datuk Dr Pamela Yong and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) president Datuk Peter Anthony.