LAJIM Ukin is ramping up efforts to bring peninsula-based Bersatu to Sabah, despite the party’s denial that it wishes to set up shop in the state.

Lajim, who is the president of Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah, is arranging to distribute specially designed membership forms to some 100,000 Sabahans by the end of the month.

He told The Malaysian Insight that this membership drive would convince Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad to form a state chapter.

“We are getting the forms now, and as mentioned by Bersatu secretary-general Marzuki Yahya recently, the party is ready to set foot in Sabah,” Lajim told The Malaysian Insight.

This membership drive comes in the wake of Warisan head Shafie Apdal’s reminder to Bersatu leaders and Sabahan politicians that Bersatu had previously said there was no need to set up shop in the state, given that Warisan is a Pakatan Harapan ally and leads the Sabah administration.

“Bumiputera support for the Warisan-PH alliance is strong. The cooperation has seen us win parliamentary and state seats, such as Papar, Putatan, Penampang, Karambunai, and Sepanggar in the west coast.

“We also won big in the east coast,” Shafie told reporters after a meet-the-people session in conjunction with Chinese New Year in Semporna yesterday.

Dr Mahathir said yesterday in Penang that Bersatu had yet to decide whether to spread its wings to Sabah.

He said the matter first had to be discussed among the party’s top leadership.

Asked about Shafie’s statement, Lajim said it was only a verbal agreement between Shafie and Dr Mahathir, adding that Warisan did not have the right to bar any party from setting up in the state.

“There was no black-and-white over the matter, and as far as I know, it was only an election pact that both parties had agreed to before GE14.

“The situation has now changed and it is more likely that Bersatu can come to Sabah now to help Warisan face Sabah Umno,” he said.

Lajim said the decision to enter Sabah would only be known after the Semenyih by-election on March 2, during which the party is expected to hold a special ceremony to announce its entry into the state.

“If everything goes according to plan as decided by Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah, we will dissolve the party and join Bersatu,” said Lajim, adding that Bersatu is currently occupied with winning the Semenyih by-election.

Lajim is not the only person pushing for Bersatu to set up shop in Sabah.

Former Sabah Umno liaison chief Hajiji Mohd Noor is also trying to form a Bersatu Sabah state chapter around former Umno assemblymen and members of parliament who had left the party to become independents.

However, unlike Lajim who wants to work with Warisan and PH, Hajiji wants to align Bersatu Sabah with the newly formed opposition bloc Gabungan Bersatu Sabah.

Gabungan Bersatu Sabah comprises Parti Bersatu Sabah, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku, and Umno Sabah.

Lajim said this was a ridiculous idea.

“Bersatu can’t align itself with the state opposition group. How will that work if Bersatu is in the opposition coalition?

“Our intention is to work with Warisan and PH’s Sabah DAP, Sabah PKR, and Amanah, as how it is at the federal level,” said Lajim, adding that Umno members should not be leading the charge to form Bersatu Sabah.

“Dr Mahathir had previously said that former Umno members joining Bersatu are not allowed to have any party positions. They can only join as regular members.

“They have to wait at least four years before they can vie for any position in Bersatu and therefore cannot stand as candidates in the next general election.” – February 9, 2019.