KOTA KINABALU: Sabah UMNO election director Jeffery Nor Mohamed has urged external parties to avoid meddling in the internal affairs of the national party.
He characterised such interference as inappropriate, noting that legal proceedings commence once an individual is charged and continue until a verdict is reached or an appeal is finalised in the Federal Court.
Jeffery criticised the notion that an individual required to mount a defence in court is automatically guilty and should resign from their position as Chief of UMNO Sabah, labelling this as unprofessional and politically motivated.
“The situation involving Datuk Bung Moktar Radin is currently in the self-defence phase, and only the court has the authority to determine his guilt or innocence, not external commentators,” he said in a statement.
His remarks were in response to various leaders and social media users calling for Bung to resign as Chief of UMNO Sabah following the Court of Appeal’s ruling that mandated him to defend against allegations of corruption and conspiracy related to a RM150 million Felcra investment.
Jeffery pointed out that the prosecution of Bung’s case arose after UMNO’s defeat in the 2018 elections, a situation that similarly affected many UMNO leaders at that time. He affirmed that UMNO Sabah respects the rule of law and emphasised that the legal process is just beginning, with neither Bung nor his wife having been found guilty.
“It is peculiar that there are voices expressing distrust in the judiciary; we should allow the judicial system to address this issue,” he remarked.
He also highlighted that UMNO Sabah has made a resurgence under Bung’s leadership, despite the challenges faced during the initial charges in the Sessions Court.
In addition, Jeffery proposed the establishment of a committee within the Sabah State Assembly, akin to the Public Accounts Committee in the House of Representatives, to thoroughly investigate SMJ and SMM, as well as to conduct an audit of all government-linked companies in Sabah.
