KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno should prioritise its internal party issues during its 'cooling period', said Universiti Malaysia Sabah Associate Professor Dr Lee Kuok Tiung.

Yesterday, Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had announced that the party would take such measures to attain win-win solutions between Umno and Sabah political parties.

The decision came after Sabah Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who is also the state Umno chief, attempted a political coup dubbed the "Kinabalu Move", by pulling the party's support for the state government helmed by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

Instead of mending the relationship with other political parties in Sabah, Lee said Umno has many other internal parties to look into.

He added Umno's moves in sacking and suspending its members, not allowing two top posts in the party to be challenged among others, had caused a stir among grassroot supporters.

"Therefore, the 'cooling period' should focus on party internal issues first. (But) it is of course that Umno is concerned about the leadership in Sabah.

"There are many Umno divisions in Sabah. It will definitely affect the central leadership later," he said, adding that Bung also has an ongoing court case on corruption.

He said Umno's popularity, being one of the oldest and powerful political parties in the country, will depend on how it deals with its internal problems.

Lee added that with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor's recent announcement on having another local-based party Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah as one of the local based parties in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah coalition, Umno's survival in Sabah will be increasingly challenging.

"The opponents of Umno would definitely like to see the party to be buried."

UiTM Sabah political science lecturer Tony Paridi Bagang said the Kinabalu Move had inevitably created the perception that power struggles occurred even within the GRS-BN political cooperation.

"The recent intention of Umno's cooling period is an effort to mitigate 'damages' that resulted from the Kinabalu Move, knowing that the state's political development is no longer like before and political compromise is needed not only for the people but also for the political party.

"(However) Trust and sincerity to some extent is questionable. Having said that, it supports the argument or accusation that Sabah political elites are too greedy regardless of the interests of the people."

Yesterday, after a meeting with Ahmad here, Bung said in his Facebook Post that Umno was a party with dignity and would continue to defend and look after the importance of Sabah and its people.

"Sabah Umno has been tested with various challenges and conjectures and we have gone through the bittersweet struggle.

"Going back a step does not mean we lose. In shaa Allah Sabah Umno will rise forever".

https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2023/01/875300/sabah-umno-should-prioritise-internal-party-problems-during-cooling