KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno offered to collaborate with Pakatan Harapan in the coming state election as a strategic move to open up public discussion, says its information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir.
He said Sabah Umno chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin's statement about collaboration with Sabah Pakatan showed the party's flexibility while testing political reactions and the people's perception.
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"Some quarters, including those within Umno itself, have come forward to explain that no official decision has been made while a few have chosen to ridicule or make fun of it," Suhaimi said in a statement on Wednesday (April 16).
"It is important to understand that (saying) 'the door is always open to negotiations' is not a... formal commitment," said Suhaimi, the Libaran MP and a nominated assemblyman.
To critics of the move, Suhaimi said whoever controls perception would drive the momentum in current politics.
"Politics is not about waiting for a green light. Real leaders are those who dare to blaze a new trail. And today, Sabah Umno is clearing a new path under the leadership of Datuk Seri Bung Moktar," he said.
He said it was a strategic statement to gauge grassroots reaction, open up space for negotiations, and establish an advantage for future talks.
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He said Bung Moktar's offer for collaboration had opened up discussions involving Barisan Nasional and Pakatan, key players in the federal unity government.
"Sabah Umno is sending a message that the party is still relevant, flexible and strategic in its political approach.
"This is not a random statement (by Bung Moktar). This is a carefully calculated message," he added.
He said the intention was to explore future cooperation for the sake of stability.
"It also allows Sabah Umno to change media perception and strengthen the party machinery as well as its position in the state and political landscape," he said.
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Whether or not an electoral pact eventually materialises between Sabah Barisan and Sabah Pakatan was a secondary matter, he added.
"What is important now is that Sabah Umno is back on the national political radar in the media conversation, the public’s attention, and the considerations of other parties," he said.
Some Sabah Pakatan component parties have been non-committal but said they were open to discussions about an electoral alliance.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who is chairman of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), has indicated that he favours an electoral pact with Sabah Pakatan without Sabah Barisan.
