GE15: 'All 25 GRS-BN candidates eligible to be DPM'
KOTA BELUD - All 25 Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-Barisan Nasional (BS) candidates are eligible to be the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), says former minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan.
The Kota Belud BN Parliament candidate said that the most important position would not necessarily be his because it was up to the party leadership.
"There will be an opportunity for all because the offer was made by my President (Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi). If we win, there would be a DPM from Sabah.
"Not only for me, but all 25 GRS-BN candidates were eligible to become DPM. I am not saying it's mine, I leave it to the leadership to decide.
“What was sure is that the Kota Belud people will be appreciated if the DPM candidate is from Kota Belud," he told reporters after he met Kadamaian State Legislative Assembly (Dun) Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) programme in Kampung Malangkap, on Monday.
He said this when asked about the statement of former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman that stated Rahman could become the DPM recently.
He admitted that there was a discussion between GRS-BN regarding the selection of the DPM candidate from Sabah.
However, he said it was better to complete the election first before he revealed the discussion results on the matter.
"Yes, there was (a GRS-BN discussion), but we want the election to finish first because it is not good if I reveal the discussion results with GRS.
"But what was sure is that we will wait and see because we all have the same chances of becoming DPM," he said.
The Umno Supreme Working Council (MKT) member denied the position of BN in Sabah affected following the actions of former foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman that supported the Pakatan Harapan (PH) Chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the prime minister candidate.
"Anifah is my friend and he is not Umno leadership. What he did had no relation with us and secondly, many of the leadership left Umno in 209 and we have rearranged our strengths. It doesn't matter, Umno would continue moving forward.
"Even so, I appreciate what Anifah did but that was his personal decision, this is democracy and I believe Umno would continue to be stronger each day," he said.