00:00Kudat MP Verdun Bahanda says he is seriously considering an offer to join Barisan Nasional,
00:07but insists the move is not about securing a candidacy in the 16th general election.
00:13Verdun told FMT that discussions were still ongoing and any decision could only be made
00:19after parliament is dissolved because of the anti-party hopping law.
00:23He said his remarks at a Kudat event last Saturday were simply to thank BN Chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
00:30and Sabah BN Chief Atta Josep Korup for supporting him as an independent MP.
00:37Verdun stressed that he was not hoping to contest in GE16
00:40and may instead support BN's candidate to help bring more development to Kudat.
00:46He added that he had already told Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in May
00:50that he was considering sitting out the next general election.
00:55Zahid had earlier hinted that Verdun and his brother Kota Marodo MP Wetrom Bahanda could join BN,
01:02fueling speculation that they may do so through Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah, which is led by Kuruq.
01:08Verdun won Kudat as an independent in GE15 with a 1,967 vote majority,
01:16while Wetrom won the Kota Marodo seat with an 8,174 vote majority.
01:23However, both brothers later lost their respective seats in the Sabah state election last November.
01:30Roman Dawi Gapari, FMT
Comments