Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Umno needs to rise again in the next state election to regain the seats lost by Umno leaders who have joined Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), said its Chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
He said due to pursuing power and position, those who won the seats on Umno tickets were willing to leave the party’s struggle and loyalty without supporters’ blessing in their respective areas.
“They contested on Umno tickets and won because of the support of the Umno party machinery, but they eventually ‘sold off’ their principles of struggle.
“In the next state election, we have to rise and retake the seats they brought to jump to another party,” he said at the Umno Sabah Zone 1 breaking-of-fast event in Kota Belud.
Zone 1 includes Kota Belud, Kudat, Kota Marudu and Tuaran.
Bung, also Sabah BN Chairman, said they need to work as a team to regain control of the State Legislative Assembly.
“Success will not be achieved without the support of friends from the components under Umno and BN.”
He said Umno’s victory in Kota Belud was significant considering that Sabah Umno was born in the district, the party’s stronghold, which previously controlled two sate seats, namely Usukan and Tempasuk.
“We will defend the Usukan seat and recapture the Tempasuk seat.
“We do not rule out the possibility of putting an Umno candidate in the Pintasan seat if there is a suitable candidate, or we will support another party that joins Umno/BN to ensure that we capture this area,” he said.
In addition, Bung also reminded all party machinery to start working.
“Branch heads need to identify the number of party members in their respective areas.
“We must clean up the list of party members...those who have migrated, we let them go.
“We only need quality members who have principles of struggle.
“Believe me, with the issues that are increasingly plaguing people’s lives at the moment, especially in terms of basic infrastructure needs, and the increasingly pressing economic situation, the people will be together in the Umno/BN struggle to make changes for the better,” he said.
