KOTA KINABALU, April 1 — Sabah Umno chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said Umno’s presence in the state for the past 33 years is not to seize power because Sabah Umno is led by the people of Sabah themselves.
Bung Moktar expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of certain parties in Sabah trying to stoke parochialism by labelling Umno as a political party from Malaya and said this issue should not arise because Umno’s presence in Sabah was at the behest of the people of Sabah.
He said he knew that some of those trying to influence Sabahans to reject Umno were among those involved as founders in the early days of Umno’s entry into Sabah.
Bung Moktar said Sabah Umno enjoys autonomy, making the state liaison body different from Umno in other states.
With this autonomy, Sabah Umno is empowered to organise the state liaison body and discuss important matters involving the party in Sabah.
“Sabah Umno also has room to determine candidates representing the party in elections,” he said in a statement here today. — Bernama
