KOTA KINABALU – Umno’s Supreme Council member Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan has claimed that the Sabah state wing will stand behind Datuk Seri Najib Razak in his current predicament and wants justice to be carried out properly for the former prime minister.
He said Najib holds a “special place” among the Sabah people because he has been good to the state.
“Najib is very popular in Sabah. He has visited Sabah more frequently than any other state compared to any other prime ministers combined.
“There are big projects approved for the state, particularly the Pan Borneo (highway) project. So the people of Sabah also want him to be given a fair trial.”
Rahman, who is a former Kota Belud MP, said many Sabahans sympathise with Najib as it is perceived that he did not get a fair trial, notwithstanding whether he is guilty or not guilty.
I think the people of Sabah still think of him as the greatest prime minister ever that has helped Sabah in many ways,” he said to reporters after a function here yesterday.
He also refuted claims that Umno put current prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob under siege over the incarceration of Najib.
“It’s always about giving Najib a fair and just trial. We never asked, never wanted the court to exonerate Najib or to drop the case. That was never the intention.
Rahman said Najib’s court process was quicker than that of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, which took over six years to complete.
“The bottom line is Umno wanted Najib to be given an extension in his trial, a postponement, an adjournment,” he said.
According to Rahman, Najib himself had mentioned many times that he wanted to go to trial to clear his name, but stressed it should be a fair trial.
Rahman to stand in GE15
On another matter, Rahman said he will make a comeback by vying for a seat in the 15th general election (GE15).
“Yes, I lost in the general election last time because I was removed from Kota Belud and asked to stand in Sepanggar two months before the election, and I knew the result was disastrous,” he said in recalling his defeat..
“But that was the past. Yes, the party (Umno) still wants to offer me as a candidate, but don’t ask me where, because your guess will be as good as mine.
“I have some areas that probably will fit into my objectives, but I can’t name them,” he said.
In GE14 in 2018, Rahman lost to Warisan’s Mohd Azis Jamman in Sepanggar by a 12,984 majority vote.
Rahman was previously Kota Belud MP, which he had won in the 13th general election in 2013, but he was replaced as candidate there by Umno’s Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak.
According to him, Sabah Umno is now in a unique position to do well in the upcoming federal election, as it has the autonomy to decide its own direction.
“So we have the best of both worlds, and that’s what the people of Sabah want,” he said.
“A party that is seen as dominated by the local agenda, and, at the same time, is also not disconnected from the federal government.” – The Vibes, August 27, 2022
