The Kemabong assemblyman said his son, Riduan, had joined the Peter Anthony-led party on his own accord and that he did not urge him to join KDM.

Rubin also sought to clarify that he was recently at the party’s headquarters as KDM wanted to know if he objected to his son’s decision.

He said Peter had called Riduan, who is contesting the Tenom seat as an independent, on Nov 11 to offer him KDM membership. This was after Peter’s nomination for the Tenom seat was rejected.

“I was made to understand that Peter called me to come to the KDM office only after Riduan and his supporters agreed to the offer.

“I told them I had no authority or right to object to Riduan’s decision since he was no longer a Bersatu member after having quit the party several days before nomination,” he said in a statement.

Riduan is in a five-cornered contest for Tenom with Barisan Nasional’s Jamawi Ja’afar, Pakatan Harapan’s Noorita Sual, Warisan’s Ukim Buandi and another independent candidate, Peggy Chaw.

Sabah BN chairman Bung Moktar Radin had urged Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman Hajiji Noor to take action against Rubin, accusing the latter of breaching the electoral pact between BN and GRS.

Bung also claimed Rubin was behind his son’s entry into KDM. In response, Hajiji said he would probe the matter first.

KDM is a pro-GRS party. Under the BN-GRS political pact, the Tenom seat is to be contested by BN.