Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Umno Liaison Committee Deputy Chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan said no decision has been made on whether it will contest independently in the coming State Election or as part of a coalition.
He said their recent Liaison Committee meeting also did not discuss how many seats the party would contest.
“(Going) Solo may not be a viable option for any political party in Sabah. There must be some form of coalition. However, as of now, (for Sabah Umno) the direction has not been determined,” he said.
A news portal reported that Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) would likely contest 38 of the 73 seats in this year’s State Election. It also hinted that Sabah BN would go solo.
However, Sabah BN would form an alliance with other parties after the election to establish the next state government.
Abdul Rahman, who is also the Sabah Oil and Gas Development Corporation (SOGDC) Chairman, also denied claims that there were factions within Sabah Umno's leadership, insisting that all division leaders were united in awaiting a collective party decision.
“We are all united. There is no such thing as 22 here, 15 there, or seven somewhere else. We are waiting for a single collective decision,” he said.
According to him, discussions between Sabah Umno and Umno Central Committee are still ongoing, given that the political landscape in the State is highly dynamic and changes daily.
However, he acknowledged that prolonged uncertainty could lead to increased anxiety among grassroots members.
