SANDAKAN: Umno's central leadership has sent a clear signal to its Sabah chapter – don't shut the door on potential allies.
Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, during his tour of Lahad Datu and Sandakan said Sabah Umno should focus on unity rather than animosity and keep the goal of forming a stable state government in mind.
"Don't turn people into enemies. Don't 'paint anyone black'. Among friends, there may be enemies. But remember, there may be friends among enemies," he said when addressing Umno members in Libaran, here on Sunday (Aug 3).
Sabah Umno, including its chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, have stated they will not cooperate with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) for the upcoming state polls.
Speaking during the Libaran Umno meeting, Ahmad Zahid said no single party is strong enough to govern Sabah alone.
"We can't go solo. No one party in Sabah is dominant enough. If we want a stable government, we must collaborate," said Zahid, who is also Deputy Prime Minister.
Ahmad Zahid said Umno Sabah had been given full autonomy but any strategy must ultimately centre on serving the rakyat.
He also reminded party members that electoral support is no longer guaranteed by development alone, warning of the impact of perception warfare.
"We didn't lose because we failed to deliver. We lost because we didn't fight back against lies and slander on social media," he said.
Ahmad Zahid said that he would continue raising Sabah's concerns directly with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, whom he described as committed to addressing the state's long-standing issues.
Earlier, Bung in his speech said Barisan's position was that the coalition would only work with Pakatan Harapan.
"If Pakatan chooses to work with GRS, that's their business, not ours," said Bung.
