KOTA KINABALU: Sabah UMNO has not put forward a motion to the party's disciplinary committee on action to be taken against the five state assemblymen from the party who supported Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor as Sabah Chief Minister.

Sabah UMNO chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said this was because several processes had to be followed prior to tabling the motion.

"The UMNO assemblymen who turned their backs on the party's decision do not hold any leadership positions in their divisions except for one, who is the deputy chief of his division.

"The other assemblymen are just ordinary members and some are already known as leaders who often change parties," he said in a statement today.

On Jan 6, Sabah UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) withdrew their support for Hajiji as Chief Minister, however, five UMNO assemblymen remained supportive of the latter, namely Tuaran UMNO Division deputy chief Datuk Jasnih Daya (Pantai Dalit), Datuk Shahelmy Yahya (Tanjung Keramat), Datuk James Ratib (Sugut), Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob (Sindumin) and Datuk Mohd Arsad Bistari (Tempasuk).

Bung Moktar also claimed that the two UMNO assemblymen who were appointed in the Sabah Government Cabinet, namely Shahelmy as Deputy Chief Minister III and Sabah Public Works Minister, and James as the State Community Development and People's Welfare Minister did not represent the party.

-- BERNAMA