Ready to roll: Hamzah kicking off Bersatu’s Sabah tour in Sepanggar, Kota Kinabalu.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Perikatan Nasional has reinvigorated itself in the state political landscape with the slogan “Kasi Bagus Sabah” or “Make Sabah Better” as the coalition gears up for the coming state election.
“We are ready,” said Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, who is also Perikatan secretary-general.
Bersatu is a component party of Perikatan.
Speaking to reporters after launching Bersatu’s first tour of Sabah in the Sepanggar constituency, near here yesterday, Hamzah said the party has reorganised all its divisions after their leaders, led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, left to form a local party under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition and allied itself with Pakatan Harapan following the November 2022 general election.
“This is our first gathering. We are showing that Bersatu is alive in Sabah with support from our members remaining strong.
“Today, it is proven... we can not only rally our members but we also have supporters that have become members,” he said, disputing claims among many – including GRS leaders – that Bersatu is dead in Sabah following the Hajiji-led exodus.
“We are now moving on the ground,” he said, adding that Sabah Bersatu chairman Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee will lead Bersatu under Perikatan in the election due anytime this year.
Hamzah, who is Larut MP and the Opposition Leader, said the number of seats they will contest will be decided in due course but did not rule out the possibility of contesting the 18 seats Bersatu had targeted during the 2020 Sabah snap election in which they won 11.
He said Perikatan was resourceful in 2020 when it was able to win the state government in a short time and it would not be impossible for it to similarly make inroads in Sabah again.
On whether the coalition is working with other partners in Sabah, he said Kiandee is having informal discussions with some parties.
Earlier, in his speech, Hamzah said the GRS leaders had failed to look after the people’s basic needs and that they were merely focused on enriching themselves as he referred to videos implicating some of their assemblymen in corruption.
“Who are struggling? The people. Who are benefiting? They (GRS) are,” Hamzah said, adding that people’s needs including basic amenities like water were ignored.
“It’s time to put a stop to this. The people must rise and prove that the power belongs to them. Enough is enough. The people will decide who should lead Sabah,” Hamzah said.
Kiandee, in his speech, said GRS leaders harped on “content” for local parties but didn’t deliver for the people.
“Their slogan is against national parties, but they have no content in their performance in government.
“People are suffering and have seen no real development,” he said, referring to Sabah’s water crisis among others.
