KOTA KINABALU – With a day left to go before Sabahans cast their ballots, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi believes Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) are the underdogs in the race.
“This is because we are not part of the state government. However, we’re grateful to our friends in Sabah, especially PBRS (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah) and MCA who are still with us.
“Looking at the government in Sabah today, they (Warisan) are the current establishment we are seen as the ‘second layer’. We have to acknowledge that there is a ‘third force’ party that contests in all 73 seats,” Zahid said to The Vibes in an interview.
The third force refers to Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) led by former foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and Sabah Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Sabah Star) headed by Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.
Zahid said he is feeling a sense of longing among voters.
He said grassroots remain loyal with the party despite defections of 22 out of 25 division leaders from the party.
The Sabah Umno division leaders who defected in 2018 then joined Bersatu.
Perikatan branding causes confusion
The entry of Perikatan Nasional (PN) in Sabah now has created much confusion because of the logo similarities with BN.
“It is because of the similar looking logo, therefore, a decision was made to have another coalition of new parties in Sabah known as Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.
“This Gabungan Rakyat Sabah coalition however, may not be marketable yet (to voters). However, such a situation has created confusion among voters.”
BN is contesting in 41 of 73 seats.
A numbers game
There are 447 candidates vying for 73 seats in this state election, one of the highest seen, with multiple cornered fights in many constituencies.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah sees 17 overlapping seats and in some areas, its candidates went rogue to contest as independents.
Such a situation has placed the BN-PN partnership at a disadvantage against the ruling Warisan Plus pact with Pakatan Harapan.
Zahid said the “disruption” is a reflection of the dynamics in parties and politics.
“There are many possibilities that can occur even at the national level and it is not impossible for negotiations to be made by any side.
“Politics is a game of numbers. It is not just about sentiments, perceptions and emotions but eventually, it boils down to the number of seats you get.”
Avoiding character assassination
Caretaker chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal often poked at the BN-PN pact to unveil its chief minister candidate in the past week.
PN chairman and Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin hinted that should the BN-PN pact win the state election, Sabah Bersatu chief Datuk Seri Mohd Hajiji Noor will be the chief minister designate.
Zahid said the pact wants to avoid falling into a trap attracting character assassinations or personal attacks. This, he added, has been the new norm in Sabah.
“Most importantly, we leave it in the hands of Allah to decide what is best for the voters in Sabah.” – The Vibes, September 25, 2020
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