BERSATU is aggressively making moves into Sabah recruiting members despite party chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad saying there is no plan to set up a state chapter.

Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (Harapan) president Lajim Ukin is claiming responsibility for the recruitment drive and mass distribution of Bersatu membership application forms this month.

“No one has the right to stop Bersatu from coming to Sabah unless he is worried, because after all, Malaysia is a democracy,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

The recruitment drive is to show Dr Mahathir that Bersatu has enough support in Sabah and should set up shop in the state, he said.

Lajim has distributed 64,000 membership forms in the state’s 24 divisions, reserving several hundred for politicians from other parties who wish to join Bersatu.

They are from Parti Bersatu Sabah and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku, as well as former Sabah Umno members and those in other opposition parties, but not leaders in the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation, Warisan and state Pakatan Harapan.

Lajim was coy about the future of his party but the move to bring Bersatu into Sabah is viewed by many as an attempt to salvage his political career.

He is in limbo since Harapan abandoned the old United Sabah Alliance, formed before the 14th general election, following a stalemate with partner Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku, led by Jeffrey Kitingan.

At a meeting after the elections on May 9 last year, Harapan fell by the wayside after Lajim was unable to secure a supreme council post in the then proposed Gabungan Bersatu Sabah, a new coalition aimed at replacing Barisan Nasional in the state, following his party’s failure to win any seat.

Bersatu has repeatedly said it will not set up a Sabah chapter as per the promise made with the Mohd Shafie Apdal-led Warisan, as well as due to fears of a repeat of the political scenario in the 1990s, when Umno entered Sabah.

Meanwhile, former Sabah Umno members, led by Hajiji Mohd Noor, who left the party on December 12 last year are expected to make their next move known either by next month or March.

Hajiji led five MPs, nine assemblymen and 21 division heads out of the party, citing loss of confidence in the Umno leadership. He was previously the state Umno liaison chief.

About 50% of Sabah Umno’s 500,000 members also quit.

Some former Umno members are keen to join Bersatu, said sources.

They told The Malaysian Insight that Lajim, Hajiji and several former Umno politicians have been meeting to discuss cooperation.

“At this point, it is not clear whether it will be Harapan as the new outfit, but if Bersatu does indeed enter Sabah, Hajiji will be the chief and Lajim will get a special post in the council,” said a source. – January 22, 2019.