PETALING JAYA: Umno’s decision not to give its Sabah chapter autonomy to decide on electoral alliances should not be taken to mean the party’s central leadership has lost confidence in Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin, says an analyst.
Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) said that while it was evident that Sabah Umno leaders hold conflicting views on its preferred alliances,this has not created factions within the party.
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He said the central Umno leadership’s decision not to give the state chapter autonomy to determine state level partnerships was purely to balance the existing differences in opinions within Sabah Umno.
“It does not necessarily mean that Bung has lost his power or isn’t trusted anymore. Sabah Umno needs to find the strongest cooperation partner to face the state election or it risks being on the verge of extinction.
“So the situation at this point needs to be handled well. The best way to solve (the difference in opinions) is through an Umno party election, but it will be a long time (before that happens),” he told FMT.
Umno last held its party election in 2023, meaning the next one will only take place in 2026. However, the Sabah government’s current term expires in October 2025.
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In 2019, the Umno general assembly agreed to grant its Sabah chapter autonomy to set its own course in the state.
In December last year, Warisan president Shafie Apdal announced that the party will be working with Sabah Umno to take on Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) at the next state polls. The announcement was made at Warisan’s general assembly, with Bung in attendance.
The agreement, however, was swiftly denied by Sabah Umno deputy chief Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who said no decision had been made on the matter.
Bung and Rahman locked horns again recently after Tuaran Umno invited GRS chairman Hajiji Noor —Sabah’s chief minister — to a divisional meeting also attended by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Rahman. Bung claimed he was not invited but Rahman said all Sabah Umno division chiefs were invited to the meeting.
On Tuesday night, Rahman said the Umno Supreme Council rejected Sabah Umno’s request for autonomy in the choice of its allies to avoid “awkward situations”.
Meanwhile, National Council of Professors fellow Azmi Hassan said the central Umno leadership’s decision was in view of the complex relationships between Sabah-based parties at state and federal level.
While Umno and Warisan sit in the opposition in the Sabah state assembly, they are partners with GRS in Putrajaya.
“I don’t think central Umno wants to take over any decision related to the Sabah elections. Autonomy is given because Sabah politics is very unique.
“I think (central Umno wants) to be involved in discussions (about potential alliances). What Rahman said, that autonomy has been taken back, I don’t think that’s really the case,” said Azmi.
UMS’s Bilcher Bala agreed, saying making the wrong move would be very costly for Umno. He said the alliances ought to only be discussed after the election results are known.
He said Rahman was only conveying the top Umno leadership’s concerns that the state chapter may make the wrong move, adding that Sabah Umno’s autonomy did not permit it to contradict the party’s stand.
