THERE is no need for Sabah Umno to disband and follow the footsteps of the ruling parties in Sarawak by forming another coalition.

Umno presidential hopeful Khairy Jamaluddin said he disagreed with the proposal and that Sabah should not be compared with its Borneo counterpart, which is now led by Gabungan Bersatu Sarawak (GBS).

“From the perspective of a West Malaysian, I don’t agree with this,” he told a gathering of Sabah Umno members last night.

“Umno itself in the state will have autonomy. Although, autonomy is not absolute. I want to give Sabahans the freedom. The choice for its members to pick their leaders.

“I want ordinary members to pick their leaders and election candidates. I want Umno also to be a party for Sabahans,” he said.

Sabah Umno members are expected to leave the party and join Parti Bersatu Sabah under a plan to form a new coalition called Gabungan Bersatu Sabah with Sabah Solidariti Tanah Airku (Sabah Star). 

The plan was part of a deal between Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Musa Aman and Sabah Star president Dr Jeffrey Kitingan in what supposed to be an arrangement to allow BN to keep power after the May 9 polls.

The Sabah assembly was in a limbo when BN and a Parti Warisan Sabah-Pakatan Harapan team each won 29 seats, with Sabah Star being the kingmaker.

The new coalition, which was supposed to replace BN in Sabah, will include Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah, Parti Bersatu Sabah, Liberal Democratic Party and along with, Gabungan Sabah parties namely, Sabah Progressive Party, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah and Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah.

The proposed coalition came about in view of the popular Sabah for Sabahan sentiment, which according to Khairy was one of the reasons that saw Warisan, led by former Umno stalwart Shafie Apdal, winning the election in just under two years of its formation. 

Khairy said Warisan had kept itself free from West Malaysian political influence and was able to make its own decisions. 

However, Khairy said, this should not be the case for Sabah Umno and although, Sabahans view it as a peninsular party, it was supposed to have political autonomy.

He also noted that Sabah Umno was originally United Sabah National Organisation (Usno), a Sabah-based party and, therefore, should be easily identified among Sabahans as one of their own.

Umno entered Sabah in 1990 after Usno allowed itself to be dissolved and allow Umno to take over all of its branches and divisions. 

“By identifying the true origins of Umno to Sabahans, therefore, Umno could survive in Sabah. There is no need for Umno to close shop and its members joining Gabungan Bersatu Sabah. 

“With that, Sabah Umno can now chart its own direction in the State.” – June 27, 2018.