NURUAL Fadzilah Noordin, 34, was once critical of Umno and the its former president Najib Razak. 

The former Sabah Cultural Board singer’s disdain for Umno stemmed from the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.  

““I used to believe the 1MDB controversy surrounding Najib and I was critical of the party.  

“But I was driven to find the truth and I learnt that all the talk about Najib and 1MDB was nothing but lies to see Najib fall,” she said. 

This led Nurul in 2017 to join Sabah Umno Puteri then led by Normala Rasik. 

Nurul worked hard to campaign for Barisan Nasional in the general election last year. 

Fadli Juanas resigned his job as an officer at the Information Department in 2007 to join politics. His journey has brought him to the Sabah Umno Kota Belud division, which he heads.

“I was more a behind the scenes kind of guy, supporting my wife Rosnah Abdul Shirlin, who was the Papar MP,” he said. 

“I am not new to politics. I started from the bottom and I have given my best to the party.”

He said grassroots support for Sabah Umno was still strong.

Saiful Rizam Johari, 40, has been involved in politics since he was a young man in his 20s, but he was exposed to it long before that because his father and his grandfather were staunch Umno men.

Saiful was an active part of the Umno machinery in the last two elections. 

“I’m a third-generation Sabah Umno member. My grandfather Haji Mohd Dun was an Umno member, my father Johari Mohd Dun was also Umno, he was the Lumadan assemblyman,” said Rizam.

Nurul, Fadli and Saiful are among the young, enthusiastic and hardworking members of Sabah Umno’s youth and women divisions who have been thrust into leadership roles following the exodus of its leaders last year. 

On December 12 last year, more than half of Sabah Umno leaders quit, citing loss of faith in
the central leadership. 

The group led by former state liaison chief Hajiji Mohd Noor later formed Sabah Bersatu which made its entry into the state in April.

The departure of the division chiefs led Sabah Umno to reorganise its 22 divisions.

Sabah Umno said its members stood at 525,000 members from 565,000 after the party cleaned up its membership roll list this year. 

It is young, energetic and genuine leaders who are the catalysts for Umno’s growth, said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. 

“Their efforts to revive Sabah Umno are vital at this point,” he said. 

Yet the new Sabah Umno leadership, a combination of senior and junior members, have yet to be tested in the polls. 

Nurul Fadzillah said the departure of the leaders was all a part of Sabah Umno’s maturing process which had also allowed fresh faces to step up and take the lead. 

“Before, Sabah Umno was controlled by warlords. It was hard to break away when they were around. 

“They had been in power too long and if they were still around, none of the younger members would have had the chance to show their abilities,” she said. 

Fadli said he was thankful that the exodus occurred otherwise he would not have been appointed the Umno Kota Belud chief. 

“I thank all the past Sabah Umno leaders who contributed much to the party and have now left. They have given us young members a chance that we could only dream about before,” he said. 

Fadli said fresh faces, new ideas and energetic leaders were just the shot in the arm Sabah Umno needed to win back Sabah in the state elections. 

“What we can offer Umno is a new spirit. New people who haven’t got a selfish agenda, baggage or issues. We are now the opposition and Sabah Umno needs to rise back on the strength of capable leaders who are young, genuine about the party struggle,” he said. 

Saiful said Sabah Umno was on the right track to make a comeback as the grassroots support
remained strong and its new leaders had fresh ideas and support. 

“This will also augurs well for when Sabah Umno is granted autonomy at the general assembly in November.

“The new Sabah Umno will not only have autonomy but will also see the Malaysia Agreement 1963 implemented as promised by Umno’s top leaders. We will have the authority to pick our own election candidates, and if we win, pick the chief minister of Sabah,” he said. – September 22, 2019.