NAJIB Razak believes Umno and Barisan Nasional will be back in Sabah but said much rebuilding had to be done to recapture the Warisan-controlled state.

The former prime minister said there was grassroots support for the former ruling party weakened by mass defections.

“The spirit in Umno remains strong in Sabah especially at grassroots level.  

“What we need to do is improve the present leadership as many of the leaders have crossed over to Pakatan Harapan,” he said, at the opening of the Papar Umno delegates meeting in Lok Kawi, Papar today.  

Assemblymen in Sabah BN defected to the Warisan-Pakatan Harapan alliance after the general election last year.

State BN component member Upko aligned itself with Warisan-PH; Parti Bersatu Sabah, Liberal Democratic Party, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah left the coalition; and MIC was dissolved to make way for Parti Bersatu India Sabah. 

Only Umno and MCA make up Sabah BN now.

Following the exodus of key members in April, Sabah Umno is left with only one MP, Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) and an assemblyman, Musa Aman (Sibuga). 

However, Najib believes all is not lost for BN as there is a growing realisation among the grassroots that things were much better when the coalition was in power.

Najib said many had approached him to express their gratitude for the many benefits they had received from BN policies. 

“Now we must convince the people that Umno and BN have always been the best choice… I have constantly emphasised (that the people should vote) for the party that can deliver the best for Sabah,” he  said. 

Najib said Umno was also keeping its options open by working with other parties in Sabah like it worked with PAS on the peninsula.

The PAS-Umno cooperation, he said, had proved beneficial as shown in the Cameron Highland parliamentary election and the Semenyih and Rantau state by-elections in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, respectively.

“I am aware PAS is not a big (name) in Sabah and we don’t want to overplay the alliance in the state. 
 
“Politics in Malaysia is still dynamic and fluid, I would say. So there will likely be a few scenarios that will put everything into place.” – August 4, 2019.