Sabah Umno to finalise strategy to regain state, says Bung

Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin - Bernama

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno is ready for the snap election and is expected to meet tomorrow to finalise its strategy to regain the state it lost in the last general election, says its chairman.

“We are ready. It will be a real challenge. I believe the machinery is ready as we have been preparing for the election, ” said Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.

“The party’s state political bureau will meet first, followed by the state committee.

“We will decide on our alliances for the state election, ” the Kinabatangan MP said when contacted yesterday.

Bung Moktar said they would also discuss guidelines for the party to accept former members, including elected representatives wanting to return to the party they left following the fall of the Barisan Nasional government in 2018.

He said former Umno assemblymen, who had joined the alliance of assemblymen led by Tan Sri Musa Aman in a failed bid to topple the state government, had called him on rejoining Umno.

“Some of them have called me, and some others want to meet me. We will decide on their positions, ” he said, referring to eight former Umno assemblymen who were among 16 who had crossed over from Parti Warisan Sabah, Sabah PKR, Upko and Sabah DAP to Musa’s side.

Bung Moktar reiterated that Sabah Umno had nothing to do with the current realignment of assemblymen under Musa.

Bung Moktar had previously said that Sabah Umno preferred elections rather than crossovers to bring down the government.

“Tuan Yang Terutama (Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin) has the right to make a decision on these matters, ” he said, referring to the state governor who consented to the dissolution of the state legislative assembly.