KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin has thrown his hat into the ring for Sabah’s top job, telling voters it is time they considered him as chief minister.
“Why not try me?” the Sabah Umno chief said during a KiniTV podcast, framing himself as an alternative to leaders who have already had their turn.
The Kinabatangan MP, who also holds the Lamag state seat, argued that Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) administration has fallen short in improving daily life.
“He uses the slogan Sabah Maju Jaya. At the top level, it’s there, but on the ground the roads are full of potholes. There’s no water. Electricity goes out eight times a day,” Bung said.
Sabah’s voter roll has swelled to 1.77 million, up from 1.12 million during the 2020 state polls, according to Election Commission figures.
Bung pointed out that Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal had already served as chief minister, while Hajiji currently holds the post. “The others have had their chance. I haven’t,” he said.
He also recounted tense moments after Hajiji’s swearing-in on September 29, 2020, when he discovered his portfolio had been reshuffled without his knowledge.
Bung said he was promised the works ministry along with the deputy chief minister I post, but was instead handed housing and local government.
“On the very first day, he deceived me. I called him and said if it wasn’t fixed in one hour, BN would dissolve the government. Then he changed it,” Bung said.
Relations soured further, with Bung accusing Hajiji of “lies upon lies” that eventually pushed Umno and Barisan Nasional out of the GRS coalition in 2022.
He also claimed that staying on risked Umno being tainted by scandals, including questionable mineral exploration deals.
If given the mandate, Bung said Sabah’s natural wealth would be managed under a new body overseen by Yayasan Sabah, with proceeds channelled into a “Sabah People’s Wealth Fund” for citizens.
“The commitment of leadership matters more than which coalition governs,” he said. “If there’s no sincerity to lift up the people, Sabah will remain poor forever. I am determined to change that.”
He outlined plans to fix power shortages, arguing that the lack of electricity and water supply has scared off investors and driven Sabahans to the peninsula for work.
He also proposed moving the main airport, building a new port in Kudat, restructuring state-linked companies, and funding free education up to university level.
The state election must be held by December 7 this year and is expected to see shifting alliances and multi-cornered contests, with GRS likely to face BN despite Pakatan Harapan’s efforts to mediate between the two.
