Suhaimi: Sabah Umno has autonomy to pick its political partners

KOTA KINABALU: No outside parties or individuals have the right to ask for Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin to resign from his post if it decides to work with Parti Warisan or any other party in the state, says Umno information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir (pic).

He maintained that Sabah Umno has been granted autonomy to decide on its partners in the coming state election.

“Only our 600,000 members in the state have the right to voice their views on the matter if we cooperate with other parties including Warisan for the next state election,” he added.

Suhaimi, who is Libaran Umno division chief, was responding to the call by Gerakan Kuasa Malaysia (G57) chairman Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar to Bung Moktar to step down from leading Sabah Umno if he continues with his plans to work with Warisan.

Suhaimi said so far, there has been no decision on whether Sabah Umno will collaborate with other parties in the polls that are due by September 2025.

“Sabah Umno needs to be careful and only cooperate with parties that respect the agreements signed.

“The previous cooperation with other parties has made us wiser and more cautious in establishing cooperation with other parties in the state,” he said in reference to the soured tie-up in the September 2020 snap state election between Sabah Umno and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) led by Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

“We will work with political parties that respect each other’s agreements.

“We will also see friends who have loyalty, sincerity in carrying out their responsibilities as partners to fight for the people of Sabah. We don’t want any more internal crises that disrupt efforts to develop Sabah,” Suhaimi said in a statement yesterday.

Sabah Umno had on Jan 5 last year withdrawn its support for the GRS state government led by Chief Minister Hajiji, who managed to retain control of the administration with the support of Sabah Pakatan Harapan and renegades from Sabah Umno.

Zulkarnain has said his group is disappointed with Umno for deciding to cooperate with Warisan and “prayed” that Bung will be replaced as state Umno chief. He claimed that Sabah Umno is split into two groups with Bung Moktar pushing for an electoral pact with Warisan led by former chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

Suhaimi hit out at Zulkarnain for his comments, saying that he has no right to speak on the affairs of Sabah Umno and advised the activist to “look after your NGO instead of playing up the interests of certain outside parties to divide Sabah Umno”.

“Whatever Sabah Umno decides, it is Sabah Umno’s right; it is not to be determined by outsiders unrelated to Umno,” Suhaimi added.