KOTA KINABALU: As the Umno polls loom nearer, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin has taken aim at his political opponents, saying that the party will be back to rule the state after the next general election.
The Sabah Barisan Nasional-Umno chief, who was defending his position as a supreme council member starting this March 11, said that the political situation in Sabah was different, adding he would not stay still but instead continue to strengthen the party in the state.
The former Sabah deputy chief minister said in a statement here on Thursday (March 9) that Umno was almost wiped out following its heavy defeat in the 14th General Election (GE14).
He said many leaders had chosen to desert Umno following that disastrous result - including in Sabah - but that the party managed to get back on its feet, describing it as an extraordinary resurgence.
"This was the same when Sabah Umno was no longer part of the (state) government, too many had abandoned the party," Bung Moktar said, referring to the events after the failed takeover of the Sabah government in January.
"Those who left were weak, without integrity and did not think about the party’s interest because they were being selfish under the excuse of political stability among other reasons but those are excuses which are not sound.
"I am confident in Sabah that, despite the continuation of the political crisis in Umno, I see that the party will return to rule the state after the next general election," he said.
On Jan 6, Sabah Barisan-Umno broke away from the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government led by Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and later worked with Parti Warisan and Parti KDM to topple the state administration which eventually failed.
Hajiji remained in power with, among others, the help of five Sabah Umno renegades who went against the party to back him as Chief Minister.
Following that, at least four Sabah Umno assemblymen had joined Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, Hajiji’s new political vehicle.
Towards this end, Bung Moktar said, he acknowledged that Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had expressed that Barisan was in support of the government in Sabah.
"However, Sabah Umno will not stay silent but will continue to strengthen itself.
"I am confident that after the party election, Sabah Umno will be led by those with integrity who will make the party stronger.
"I will plan strategies in future that will not only ensure Sabah Umno play a role to revive the party (as a whole) because our mission is clear which is to bring Sabah out of poverty," Bung Moktar said.
Towards this end, the Kinabatangan MP, often described as a firebrand for his outspokenness in Parliament, reminded members to stay loyal to the party while at the same time lambasting those who had left as opportunists.
He said the party had a well-built structure and thus possessed strong grassroots following.
Previously, he added, there were analysts who claimed Umno was in dire straits but the response from the grassroots showed otherwise.
"Umno was born from a struggle to, firstly, liberate the country and free the people from British rule where as other parties were formed in the streets, from power (struggles) or from defection from other parties, among others.
"(So), don’t leave Umno because the party has something different from other parties," Bung Moktar said.
Earlier, Bung Moktar had retained the Kinabatangan Umno division chief post uncontested.
