KOTA KINABALU: Lahad Datu member of parliament and Segama state assemblyman Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi today announced his departure from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
Mohamaddin said the reason he did so was because after six months in Bersatu, he was not given a role to develop the party's chapters in his constituencies.
"The decision to quit Bersatu is because I was not given the role to strengthen the party as promised before.
"I was promised a role to lead the party in my constituencies in Lahad Datu and Segama. But after more than six months, no such role was given," he told a Press conference here this morning.
Mohamaddin said he and his supporters had been sidelined by the Bersatu machinery in these areas, with the party conducting activities without his knowledge.
He claimed that he did not receive any allocation for the Segama state constituency.
Mohamaddin added that at the moment, he has yet to decide whether to join another political party.
He pointed out that the decision to quit Bersatu was his own, without discussing it with any of the party leadership, including its president, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
"I did not discuss with Muhyiddin or any Bersatu leader because this is my right," he said.
The former tourism, arts and culture minister left Parti Warisan Sabah on Oct 30, 2021 and joined Bersatu in November the same year.
Mohamaddin said he was not worried about the general perception over his decision to quit or 'jump party'.
"I left Warisan and after that I joined Bersatu. Today... after six months, I left Bersatu.
"People call me 'frog' because I jump here and there, but people do not understand.
"Imagine what is it like to just sit in a party for six months without doing anything. (I'm) not even laying eggs.
"You are supposed to do work for the people. So no, I'm leaving. I'm not worried about people's views. Whoever calls me a frog, monkey, let them be.
"An uneducated frog will remain under the shell but an educated frog will jump on top of the shell, for the people." he said.