KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Bersatu will not be wiped out in the next state election as it remains rooted and focused to champion for the state rights, says state Armada (youth wing) chief Muhd Affan Jumahat.
Dismissing Umno's claim that Bersatu will be wiped out in the next state election, Muhd Affan said that Bersatu remained focused on pushing the people's wishes for the fulfilment and implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
"Sabahans are politically mature and want their leaders to truly understand and champion the cause of the MA63, especially their right to the return of 40% state revenue to the state under Article 112 of the Federal Constitution.
"Our focus of state 40% revenue rights has gained support from the people and it will be our key point in the Perikatan Nasional manifesto for the state election," he said in a statement Thursday (Dec 12).
Muhd Affan was responding to Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi's recent statement predicting that Sabah Bersatu will "wrap up" in the upcoming Sabah election as it lost its footing after most of its leaders crossed over to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) in December 2022.
Muhd Affan said that Umno should worry about its own waning influence not only in Sabah but also nationally instead of diverting attention to Sabah Bersatu.
"Puad should be more concerned about the position of Umno which is increasingly being rejected by the Malay community in the Peninsula and the Bumiputras in Sabah," he said, adding that this was reflected in the 2022 General Election.
Muhd Affan said that in the September 2020 state election, Sabah Umno won 14 seats because it worked with Perikatan Nasional at the time.
"Without such cooperation, it will be difficult for Umno to achieve such a number under the current situation where the people's confidence in the party is deteriorating," he added.
Sabah Bersatu assemblymen, led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor left Bersatu after the general election to form Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) in early 2023, which became a coalition party of the Gagungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government led by Hajiji.
It was a move to abandon Bersatu and forge a coalition with the federal unity government under Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Sabah Bersatu is currently led by Beluran MP Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee, who is also a vice-president of the party.
"Sabah Bersatu continues to be committed to fighting for the rights of the people of Sabah without relying on partisan political games or the manipulation of certain individuals," Mohd Affan said.
