Rubin denies playing part in son joining KDM
KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Tenom division coordinator Datuk Rubin Balang said his son Riduan’s decision to join Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) was his own choice.
He said Riduan decided to join KDM after the party’s president Datuk Peter Anthony contacted him about the matter.
Rubin in a statement yesterday said Peter had called Riduan, who is contesting as an independent for the Tenom seat, on Nov 11 and extended an offer to the latter to join KDM before polling day to avoid the anti-party hopping law.
“I was made to understand that Riduan and his supporters agreed with the offer, after which Peter’s people contacted me and asked me to come to the KDM office (in Tenom).
“They asked me if I have any objection to Riduan joining KDM and I said that I have no authority to object or do anything as Riduan had resigned from Bersatu a day before Nov 5, nomination day, and therefore is no longer a member of the party,” he said.
Rubin said that he left the KDM office after a brief meeting.
He was responding to allegations that he had violated the agreement between GRS and Barisan Nasional (BN) Sabah for the 15th general election (GE15).
He also expressed regret that BN Sabah chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin had called on Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to take action against him, including removing him from his government-linked company (GLC) post without having any real facts.
Rubin said it should be remembered that he had contested as an independent candidate in the Sabah state election in 2020.
“After winning the seat, I and fellow independent assemblymen Datuk Masiung Banah and Datuk Ruddy Awah were invited to help establish a state government between GRS and BN-Umno. As a result of that consensus, the GRS-BN state government was formed.
“In the GRS-BN government they were appointed to important positions, including Bung Moktar who was appointed as Deputy Chief Minister and Works Minister of Sabah. Now after the GRS-BN state government ruled for more than two years, they want to kick me out,” he said.
Rubin claimed the reason for this was because BN-Umno’s Tenom candidate Jamawi Jaafar was unhappy with Riduan’s decision to contest in the GE15.
“Bung Moktar should realise that it is unfair to ban any individual who is qualified and interested to contest in the GE15 because this is a democratic country.
“Riduan’s actions and decision to contest as an independent candidate is the wish of himself and his supporters.
He has the right to decide his future and political struggle.
“I hope Bung Moktar who has political maturity will not be easily influenced by Jamawi’s baseless reports,” he said, claiming that Jamawi wanted to tarnish his good name.