KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno must fight to get back all its seats lost in previous elections and after elected representatives ditched the party for another, says Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
The Sabah Umno chief said seats won under the Umno and Barisan Nasional ticket must be grabbed back, because the leaders who won had the support of Umno grassroots supporters and other party members.
“But these leaders were willing to leave Umno just for the sake of power and position, without even thinking of the party and consent from supporters in their respective areas,” he said in a statement Wednesday (March 20).
“They contested on an Umno ticket, won due to Umno's machinery and support but they pawned off the party struggle and spirit so we must fight to get back these seats,” said Bung.
He said Umno leaders and members must rise from the ashes and retain, fight and take back seats that were Umno’s in the first place.
Bung attended a breaking of fast programme in Kota Belud recently where he said it was an Umno stronghold, as Sabah Umno was born there.
“Usukan and Tempasuk were under Umno, Usukan still is but we will take back Tempasuk and maybe go after Pintasan as well,” he said.
Tempasuk assemblyman Datuk Mohd Arsad Bistari was among the five Umno dissidents who went against the party and proclaimed their support for Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor during the Sabah political crisis in January last year.
Pintasan is now under Datuk Fairuz Renddan, a member of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
Bung said to get back seats it lost, and to contest in more areas, Sabah Umno would need dedication and support from the grassroots and commitment from all members.
He said a proper strategy must also be in place to achieve the objective they wanted in the coming state election.
He urged all members to start going to the ground and work harder from now on, because time and effort was essential.
“We must have a cleanup of the list of party members. Those who have left, let them be. We only need quality members and those who have the right fighting spirit for our party,” said Bung.
He is confident that the people would support Umno and Barisan in wanting to make Sabah a better place to live and prosper, due to the various issues plaguing the state, from infrastructure to basic necessities and economic matters.
