Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin has denied being at odds with Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on the issue of cooperation for the upcoming state election.
Bung said Umno at the federal level and Sabah Umno “remain as one”.
“Our stance is that cooperation (with other coalitions) can happen even after the election,” he told FMT.
Zahid was reported as saying yesterday that negotiations on seat allocations among BN, Pakatan Harapan and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah for the polls are almost completed.
However, Bung had said on Wednesday that Sabah Umno was ready to go solo in the state election after GRS announced its electoral pact with PH.
He mocked the GRS-PH alliance as a “panic pact” and said Sabah Umno will not work with “dishonest and insincere” coalitions.
“An electoral pact must be built on sincerity and integrity, not just seat-sharing and candidate selection,” he said, according to The Borneo Post.
A GRS supreme council meeting chaired by chief minister Hajiji Noor yesterday confirmed the collaboration with PH.
Zahid had earlier reiterated that BN‘s pact with PH had been “locked in”, indicating that BN and GRS were likely to clash in the election.
On Sunday, he urged Sabah Umno not to completely shut the door on potential allies, saying “there may be friends among enemies”.
Bung, who is also the Sabah BN chief, said both Sabah Umno and BN remain “undisturbed” and are fully prepared for the state election.
“We have faced many bigger challenges. Sabah Umno and BN are 100% prepared for the Sabah election,” he said.
