BEAUFORT – President of Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (Harapan Rakyat), Datuk Lajim Ukin, said it is unfair to compare him with another party president who only recently took up state rights as his newly-found slogan.
Lajim said he is a true-blue state fighter since 1985 when he left Berjaya to join PBS fight Berjaya-BN then. He said he would not want any part with bad governments and bad leadership.
“There is no comparison. I left Umno and BN in 2012 while I was a federal deputy minister to fight Umno and BN unlike others who only surfaced to purportedly fight for Sabah after they had been sacked as Minister or suspended by Umno,” he said without mentioning names.
He said this in his speech when launching his party’s election machinery for the polling district of Klias Baru at Kampung Salagon Dua near here last night. The polling district was headed by Lajim’s younger brother, Suhaili Ukin.
Lajim who is also Klias assemblyman, defended that when he made his political decisions, he would do it to enable him to serve the rakyat and to provide opportunities for everyone regardless of religion and races or political affiliations.
“I left PKR because the people want freedom to chart their own future or build their own homes and hold the keys, and not for myself. If it is for myself why would i have quit as minister which had loads of benefits?
“I only have one house in Kota Kinabalu since 1988, unlike others (who could own many properties), but have you ever heard that i refused or rejected anyone from seeing me at my house all these years? I cannot say for other leaders…” he said at the well-attended function.
He said Beaufort now has for the first time since 1963 a president of a political party they can call their own, but even that was only for a period of time as he would only pave the way for next Sabah leaders to run Harapan Rakyat.
“Unlike others I would not want to stick around in politics until the sky drop on me or until im on a wheel-chair. I am already 61 and while this age is considered still young, I wish for younger leaders to lead in the future,” he said.
Others joining him in the function were party leaders which included vice president Jaafar Ismail, woman’s head Ester Otion, young woman’s head Dayang Aezzy Liman and newly-appointed party’s communication director Kanul Gindol.
