KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional’s candidates for the upcoming Sabah state elections have been screened and identified, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Barisan chairman said the party received several potential names per constituency before screening.
He said those who passed were candidates with clean track records.
“When I was presented with the names, I submitted them to the police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Syariah Court and the civil court to ensure they had no cases,” he said.
He said this at the Inspirasi Wanita Luar Biasa TVET Giatmara programme on Saturday (Sept 27).
Asked how many state seats Barisan is targeting, Ahmad Zahid said this would be announced later.
He said the candidates include women, youth, experienced figures and new faces.
“We need to fix what is wrong and do what is right. I am not touching on any party or any individual,” he added.
Ahmad Zahid said what matters is that the next state government is aligned with the Federal Government.
“This ensures allocations and development projects are better arranged, and negotiations on issues are more efficient,” he said.
He said Barisan does not want rhetoric or manifestos that sound attractive but are not doable or accepted by the people.
“The manifesto by Sabah Barisan this round will be the best for the next five years,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid praised women in Barisan for consistent support in party activities, especially Sabah Wanita Umno chief Datuk Noraini Idris.
Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin praised women for their hard work and continued support for the party.
He said the party’s strength depends greatly on women and their contributions as they carry out duties well when required.
He said more women candidates are needed but, for now, priority is winnability rather than quotas.
“We will aggressively train our youth and women for the next elections, and we must work together to ensure Barisan rises again as a formidable political force in Sabah.
“We must strategise properly and not pick anyone to stand in any seat for this state election,” he added.
He said being in the opposition for the past three years in Sabah has given him the chance to see the bigger picture, identify flaws, fix them and reorganise to emerge stronger.
Earlier, he said a party leading the next state government must work well with the federal government while implementing plans that benefit the people.
“This is not just to shout ‘Sabah for Sabahans’, ‘Kita Jaga Kita’, but then videos of alleged wrongdoing are shared here and there,” he said.
These slogans are used by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and local parties, while videos of state leaders from these coalitions allegedly involved in corrupt practices have circulated over the past year.
