KOTA KINABALU – It is the lesser of two evils for Umno in Sabah, as the chapter’s Youth chief urged the party to keep its political cooperation with Bersatu alive so as to stave off the challenge posed by Warisan Plus.
Umno and Bersatu are part of the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) despite the ties between them unravelling in the peninsula.
Sabah Umno Youth chief Abdul Aziz Julkarnain, in a statement today, said the chapter is willing to work to save the state from further damage should Warisan Plus return to power.
“Although we have been betrayed, we have made a promise to the people of Sabah to save the state from the ruin brought about by the previous government (Warisan Plus).
“We don’t want our heartaches to hamper efforts to assist Sabah.”
He did not make clear to whom he was referring.
After the 2018 general election, Datuk Seri Hajiji Md Noor and a group of elected representatives exited Umno on December 12 that year to join Bersatu.
This left the state Umno with Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and former Sibuga assemblyman Tan Sri Musa Aman.
When Bung Moktar took over as Sabah Umno chief, he was granted autonomy to decide the chapter’s direction.
Aziz urged party members to respect the mandate given by the people, adding that Sabah Umno must protect the GRS government from the squabbles in the peninsula.
“We need to strengthen GRS, like how united Gabungan Parti Sarawak is in demanding state rights.”
Some 147 Umno divisions, including several in Sabah, rejected cooperation with Bersatu during divisional meetings in January. – The Vibes, March 5, 2021
