KOTA KINABALU, May 11 — Umno needs to adapt to the changing environment to enable the 77-year-old party to remain relevant and be the people’s choice.
Sabah liaison chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said Umno was not a party born on the streets but it was born from the hard work of previous leaders from demanding independence until Malaysia became an independent and a sovereign nation.
“The history of Umno’s struggle has gone through a long journey with many twists and turns, and challenges, but managed to survived. It needs to be appreciated by the members, especially the younger generation,” he said during the celebration of Umno’s 77th anniversary.
Bung, who is also a member of the Umno Supreme Council, added that in the context of Sabah Umno, which now claims to be 33 years old, the party had brought a lot of good to Sabah even though some parties were denying it.
He said that Umno provided the best service to the people of this state by focusing on development and reform towards the progress of the state.
“We have achieved many successes despite many obstacles. During the 28 years of being the government in Sabah, many developments for the well-being of the people have been fought for by Umno and no one can deny that,” he said.
According to Bung, it clearly shows that Umno has succeeded in providing the best service to the people of Sabah with a focus on development and reform, despite there being many developments that need to be addressed.
Bung said that although Umno is no longer the main party of the state government, the DNA of the party still exists in the leaders who lead the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government.
“The current Chief Minister of Sabah has Umno DNA. Even the previous Chief Minister of Sabah has Umno DNA even though he is from a different party,” he said, referring to Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor and Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal.
He said even though Sabah Umno is currently categorised as an opposition party, it does not affect the party’s struggle to defend the people.
When asked about Sabah Umno’s current challenges, Bung who is also the Kinabatangan Umno Division Chief said there are certain parties trying to destroy the party, and there are also some internal issues of its own members trying to restrain the party’s progress.
“This matter has already happened because some leaders are only prioritising personal interests,” he said.
Bung said he is confident that Sabah Umno’s grassroots support would remain strong in ensuring the continuation of the party’s struggle in Sabah.
“Umno cannot rely solely on history but must show that as a party born 77 years ago and established in Sabah for 33 years, it needs to remain relevant and become the party of the people’s choice.
“We must adapt to the changing environment because no matter how good we are, if we don’t want to make changes, the party’s position will be undermined,” he added. — Borneo Post
