UMNO leaders in Sabah are blaming the goods and services tax (GST) for Barisan Nasional’s loss in Sabah in the 14th general election.

Coming in at a close second was the negative sentiment towards former party president Najib Razak and his role in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

“The issue of Najib and 1MDB was the second factor. The first and the most important was the cost of living, because even after we explained everything, even after we built the 1Borneo shopping mall, it didn’t have any effect on them,” Aminah Ambrose, Kudat Wanita Umno head, told Malaysia Decides.

“What is important to them is the cost of living. Before this, with the same amount of money, they could buy a lot more things, but now it’s less.”

She said disunity among Umno candidates also led to confusion and a lack of focus.

“Umno has its own machinery, the district voting centre. But after nomination day, many candidates went their own direction, with their own machinery.

“With the exception of Datuk Bolkiah (Ismail). He won because he used the (district voting centre),” Aminah said, referring to the Pitas assemblyman.

Three years after the 13th general election in2013, Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal was suspended from the party following his criticism of Najib over the 1MDB controversy. He left the party shortly and set up Warisan.

Aminah said at that time, BN Sabah was already prepared to hold state polls, but BN at the federal level had other plans.

She said had the state elections been called immediately after Shafie left Umno, the results of the polls would have been very different.

“Because they (Warisan) now had time to build up grassroots support. Now, the influence has taken root.

“He (Shafie) has succeeded in gathering a few influential people. Shafie is smart. He looks for members of parliament who still have influence, people whom Umno may have disregarded,” she said.

As a result, Shafie’s coalition of then-opposition parties succeeded in winning the majority of seats to build a state government. He was sworn in as chief minister on Saturday.

His cabinet members are expected to be sworn in today. – May 16, 2018.