Suhaimi rebukes Joniston
Published on: Thursday, June 05, 2025
Published on: Thu, Jun 05, 2025
By: Abbey Junior Text Size: 'You (right) were nobody in Sabah politics if not for the BN platform. It wasn't your brilliance but the strength of BN that lifted you,' Suhaimi (left) said. Kota Kinabalu: Libaran MP Datuk Suhaimi Nasir has hit back at Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Information Chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, accusing him of hypocrisy and political betrayal. Suhaimi was responding to Joniston's criticism of Sabah Umno Chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who had recently said it would be difficult to work with GRS again due to past betrayals. 'What I saw wasn't a mature political argument, but a childish attack from someone who seems to have forgotten his own political roots,' Suhaimi said in a statement. He reminded Joniston that his political career began under Barisan Nasional (BN), through PBS when the party was part of the coalition. 'You were nobody in Sabah politics if not for the BN platform. It wasn't your brilliance but the strength of BN that lifted you,' he said. Suhaimi criticised PBS's record, pointing out the party's multiple exits and re-entries into BN, calling it a pattern of opportunism. He also questioned Joniston's silence during the January 2023 political crisis, saying he only took a stand after it was clear who would remain in power. 'Don't act self-righteous. GRS politics today is not built on moral strength but the moral weakness of others,' he said. Suhaimi said it was disingenuous for Joniston to now talk about rejecting cooperation with BN in the name of principle when he had once stood at the frontlines of BN victories. 'You left BN when times got tough – that's a fact you can't spin,' he said. 'Sabahans are not blind to history. They know who stood firm and who only showed up when there was something to gain. 'Don't make loyalty a joke. If you were truly loyal, you wouldn't have abandoned ship during a storm.' * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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