KOTA KINABALU – Sabah Umno will follow the steps of its central party leadership if it goes against Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the 15th general election, said its chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, today.
He said the autonomy Sabah Umno had was only for the state elections, but not for the parliamentary elections.
“With the parliamentary election being called anytime, Sabah Umno will align its steps with the party’s move in Peninsular Malaysia.
“If they decide (to go against PN), we will follow them. As for our political cooperation with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) in the state, Sabah Umno’s autonomy is only for the state elections.
“For Parliament, our autonomy will depend on the decision of the central Umno, as the choice who wants to become the prime minister is not ours,” he told reporters following Sabah Umno’s Kinabatangan division meeting, today.
On October 1, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was reported to have said the party will not work with Bersatu in the next general election as the party gears up for the polls.
As for the seat distributions in Sabah, Bung said the party would also heed the advice of its headquarters whether to contest in all 25 Sabah parliamentary seats.
“If Sabah Barisan Nasional wants to contest in all seats, it will depend on the central leadership’s directive. If they want it all, then we will field candidates in all seats,” he said.
Bung said Sabah Umno is already in the midst of gearing up for the general election which would be called at any time.
He said the party’s state chapter is already seasoned in ruling and also opposition bloc and therefore, knows what’s best for the people.
Bung said the party has already identified all candidates and will be carrying out a public survey in January to gather their feedback on them. – The Vibes, December 18, 2021
