Kota Kinabalu: A majority of Usno Supreme Council members openly rejected party President Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia’s decision to pull the party out of GRS, insisting the move was made unilaterally and did not reflect the party’s collective stand.
Usno Deputy President I Datuk Ibrahim Linggam said the decision to leave GRS was made personally by Pandikar without proper consultation with the Supreme Council, division leaders or the party’s top leadership.
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“The majority of deputy presidents, vice presidents and Supreme Council members oppose the move and want the party to remain in GRS and continue supporting the State Government under Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor,” he told a press conference at Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Monday.
Nearly 100 party leaders from divisions across Sabah attended the press conference, including deputy presidents, vice presidents, Supreme Council members and division chiefs.
He said 19 out of 26 division chiefs backed staying in GRS, showing that most party members did not support the withdrawal.
“For us, this action was done individually and in haste by the President and not as a collective decision of the Supreme Council,” he said.
Ibrahim said the matter was never properly discussed with Supreme Council members, Ketua Generasi Baru or Ketua Kaum Ibu.
Only 18 of 37 Supreme Council members attended the April 22 meeting where the decision was announced, and there was no proper voting process or sufficient majority to justify such a major move under the party constitution, he said.
He said claims that the withdrawal from GRS was unanimous were inaccurate.
“If Tan Sri himself does not want to remain in GRS, then he should leave on his own and not bring Usno out of GRS,” he said.
He said such a move would betray Usno members who had worked hard to support GRS and the State Government.
Ibrahim said a notice had been issued for a Supreme Council meeting on May 6, where leadership restructuring, appointments and disciplinary matters were expected to be discussed.
He claimed the move could be used to remove Supreme Council members who opposed Pandikar’s decision, including through a disciplinary committee.
However, he said any dismissal or disciplinary action must follow the party constitution and not be carried out arbitrarily.
“Our actions today are based on the real Usno constitution, not the Usno Pandikar constitution,” he said.
Usno Deputy President III Datuk Edmund J Doudilim said notices for meetings should normally be issued 14 days in advance, although certain exceptions were allowed.
However, he said a matter as serious as withdrawing from GRS should not be rushed.
“The seriousness of the matter is such that it cannot be rushed,” he said.
He said many ordinary Usno members depended on opportunities created under the GRS administration and the sudden decision ignored their welfare and political future.
Edmund said the party’s own slogan had always been to stand together with GRS, making the sudden withdrawal inconsistent and politically damaging.
He also questioned the absence of a proper post-mortem after the last election, saying Pandikar had argued that Usno did not need one because the party did not field candidates.
Edmund described that reasoning as unusual, noting that Pandikar and his wife had contested under the GRS banner.
On whether GRS had officially accepted Usno’s withdrawal, Ibrahim said there had been no formal acceptance so far by the coalition’s top leadership.
He said many GRS leaders had only stated that they respected the announcement, but the final decision would rest with the GRS supreme council.
Edmund added that the issue was not about GRS accepting the move, but whether Pandikar would retract what he described as a personal decision to prevent Usno members from becoming victims of the situation.
