KOTA KINABALU – Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has given his assurance that the Bersatu-Umno feud at the national level will not affect cooperation between the two parties in Sabah.
His sentiment was echoed by state Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who brushed aside concerns that the rift will impact the parties’ relationship in the state.
Hajiji, who is also Sabah Bersatu chief, said Umno’s federal leaders are aware of the resolve among members of the parties in the state to strengthen the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ruling coalition.
GRS consists of Perikatan Nasional (PN), Barisan Nasional, (BN) and Parti Bersatu Sabah.
“Bersatu will continue to work and cooperate with our partners in Sabah to honour the rakyat’s mandate that put us (GRS) in power.
“Now is not the time for political bickering, but to get to work,” he said in a statement today.
“We are faced with a pandemic, economic challenges, and difficulties affecting the people, so let us all not be distracted, and instead work together to surmount these challenges.”
On February 26, Umno president Datuk Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi sent a letter to Bersatu to inform that Umno will no longer cooperate with the party in the 15th general election.
The Bersatu supreme council then announced following its meeting on Thursday that the party will only focus on its PN allies – PAS, Sabah Progressive Party, Sabah Star and Gerakan – in facing the polls due in 2023.
Meanwhile, Bung said Sabah Umno enjoys autonomy in the party and faces no problem in maintaining its ties with Bersatu.
“We remain calm and continue to work with Bersatu,” he told Astro Awani today.
However, Bung, who is also Sabah’s deputy chief minister I, admitted that there has been dissatisfaction among GRS leaders, including those from Umno, Sabah Star and Bersatu.
“Some are not satisfied, thinking that Umno has more (government) positions when that is not true.
“It is very hard for us to satisfy everyone, but it does not mean that we must let it upset our fight (in the election).
“What is important is all GRS leaders have sincerity, and fight for what we have right now,” he said. – The Vibes, March 6, 2021
