KOTA KINABALU: Former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Mohd Harris Salleh, 90, is said to be planning to make a comeback in the 16th Sabah state election.
The former Berjaya (Sabah People's United Front) government chief minister between 1976 and 1984 is being courted to lead United Sabah National Organisation (Usno), which is widely seen as a “shell” of political party that was re-registered in 2013 and led by little-known politician Ibrahim Linggam.
According to a local daily, Harris neither confirmed nor denied plans to return to active politics but admitted that there were requests by Usno for him to lead.
“I cannot say for sure that I will take the challenge.
"If I decide to heed the calls, and if Usno is able to form the state government with the help of friendly parties in the opposition, my priority would be to put Sabah right economically before handing over to others,” Harris told the Daily Express, a local newspaper.
When contacted on Friday (Aug 21), Usno president Ibrahim said they were waiting for confirmation from Harris and also former Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia to join the party.
“We are getting a lot of interest from many political leaders, especially those who have been sidelined in Sabah Umno and other parties,” he said.
The original Usno was a Sabah independent party formed to represent the state’s Muslim bumiputeras and was led by Tun Datu Mustapha Harun.
The Usno led by Mustapha was dissolved with the entry of Umno into Sabah in 1991. Subsequently, certain groups started to revive it through re-registration in 2013 as Usno Baru.
Harris was among the pioneers of the party that won the first state election in 1967, but he left Usno to form Berjaya with Tun Fuad Stephens, and they toppled Usno in 1976.
Harris became Sabah chief minister hardly three months after Berjaya came to power in the state following the tragic death of the Tun Fuad in an air crash in Kota Kinabalu on June 6, 1976.
His Berjaya government lost to fledgling PBS led by Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan in 1985.
Harris made several attempts at a comeback by leading Berjaya in 1990 and Bersekutu in 1999, but failed to make any impact. Both Berjaya and Bersekutu are now defunct.
Other former chief ministers trying to make a comeback are Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat, who led the Chinese based Liberal Democratic Party, into the polls, while former Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman has also taken over Parti Cinta Sabah.
If the takeover of Usno by Harris or Pandikar materialises, it will join PCS and LDP as the third force in the Sept 26 state polls.
Currently, Warisan Plus, led by caretaker chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, is facing a challenge from Sabah Barisan led by Sabah Umno and its partners Sabah Bersatu, PBS and Sabah STAR.
The former Berjaya (Sabah People's United Front) government chief minister between 1976 and 1984 is being courted to lead United Sabah National Organisation (Usno), which is widely seen as a “shell” of political party that was re-registered in 2013 and led by little-known politician Ibrahim Linggam.
According to a local daily, Harris neither confirmed nor denied plans to return to active politics but admitted that there were requests by Usno for him to lead.
“I cannot say for sure that I will take the challenge.
"If I decide to heed the calls, and if Usno is able to form the state government with the help of friendly parties in the opposition, my priority would be to put Sabah right economically before handing over to others,” Harris told the Daily Express, a local newspaper.
When contacted on Friday (Aug 21), Usno president Ibrahim said they were waiting for confirmation from Harris and also former Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia to join the party.
“We are getting a lot of interest from many political leaders, especially those who have been sidelined in Sabah Umno and other parties,” he said.
The original Usno was a Sabah independent party formed to represent the state’s Muslim bumiputeras and was led by Tun Datu Mustapha Harun.
The Usno led by Mustapha was dissolved with the entry of Umno into Sabah in 1991. Subsequently, certain groups started to revive it through re-registration in 2013 as Usno Baru.
Harris was among the pioneers of the party that won the first state election in 1967, but he left Usno to form Berjaya with Tun Fuad Stephens, and they toppled Usno in 1976.
Harris became Sabah chief minister hardly three months after Berjaya came to power in the state following the tragic death of the Tun Fuad in an air crash in Kota Kinabalu on June 6, 1976.
His Berjaya government lost to fledgling PBS led by Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan in 1985.
Harris made several attempts at a comeback by leading Berjaya in 1990 and Bersekutu in 1999, but failed to make any impact. Both Berjaya and Bersekutu are now defunct.
Other former chief ministers trying to make a comeback are Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat, who led the Chinese based Liberal Democratic Party, into the polls, while former Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman has also taken over Parti Cinta Sabah.
If the takeover of Usno by Harris or Pandikar materialises, it will join PCS and LDP as the third force in the Sept 26 state polls.
Currently, Warisan Plus, led by caretaker chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, is facing a challenge from Sabah Barisan led by Sabah Umno and its partners Sabah Bersatu, PBS and Sabah STAR.
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