Fairuz also characterised Aziz’s actions as trying to sow discord in the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah coalition.

“His actions of making baseless accusations is akin to wanting to disrupt the unity within GRS,” Fairuz said here today. “How sure is he (Aziz) about this (PPBM luring Sabah Umno members)? Where did the issue of PPBM ‘buying and stealing’ Umno members come from?”

Fairuz said Sabah Umno members who left the party had become independent members of the state assembly before they joined PPBM. He said they did so on their own accord after PPBM set up shop in Sabah in April 2019.

National Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki had previously accused PPBM of making attempts to “steal and buy” its members.

Yesterday, Aziz claimed that PPBM had almost succeeded in luring all Sabah Umno members into joining the party during an exodus of almost all senior Sabah Umno members, including MPs and assemblymen, in December 2018.

Calling this the first phase, he said most of the Sabah Umno division chiefs were “lured to join PPBM and leave Umno”.

“I am not sure if there is another phase (now),” he said. “In the early stage, it was an overture to replace Umno entirely (in Sabah). I hope they don’t do it anymore. And we welcome anyone from PPBM to return with open arms, should they wish to.”

In response, Fairuz told Aziz not to make such a claim if he did not have any solid proof. “Don’t wreck the unity in GRS that makes Umno and PPBM partners in forming the Sabah government,” he said.

He urged members of the ruling coalition to refrain from making any statements that could harm the harmony within GRS.