KOTA KINABALU – Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin today confirmed that Sabah Umno has received reports of several disruptions at state party divisional meetings last Saturday (March 18).
The Sabah Umno chairman, who defended his position as Kinabatangan Umno chief after winning unopposed, said the commotions involved the voting management process and members not being eligible to vote in the party election, among other things.
Without referring to any Umno division, he also asked the divisions involved in any untoward incidents at the meetings to make a report to the central Umno elections committee for further action.
“They (the central Umno election committee) will examine every complaint presented and will investigate, if there is a violation of the constitution and the rules of the meeting, it may be possible that the conference will be held again,” he said in a statement today.
Last Saturday, the Lahad Datu Umno delegates’ meeting at Dewan Sri Perdana, Lahad Datu was marred by a physical fight believed to be due to provocation that resulted in two individuals being injured.
Lahad Datu district police chief Rohan Shah Ahmad is reported to have said that one of the injured victims was an employee of the Sabah Umno liaison office while the other was a member of the Lahad Datu Umno Youth committee.
In the meantime, Bung Moktar also asked Umno members after this election to give priority to restoring unity in the party, and to forgive each other in an effort to re-empower the party.
Bung Moktar also asked Umno members to prioritise restoring party unity and forgiveness after the internal polls to re-empower the party.
He saw the Umno polls that took place simultaneously across the country last Saturday as “the excitement of democracy” when many volunteered to contest even though the party was said to be in the doldrums.
This proves that the party is still relevant even though some quarters have predicted Sabah Umno would be “buried” following a recent exodus of its members, said Bung Moktar.
Meanwhile, he described his election as a member of the Umno Supreme Council as a trust given to representatives, especially at the grassroots level.
“This position comes with responsibility and trust to help and lead the party together with the president (Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi), deputy president (Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan), and Supreme Council members,” he said.
Bung Moktar, who tallied the fifth highest among Supreme Council candidates with 160 votes, was among those selected for the position based on the official results shared by Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan via a post on his Twitter page yesterday. – Bernama, March 20, 2023
