Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Umno will respect Sarawak's "political mould", in an what appears to be recognition of Sarawak BN's fears that Peninsular Malaysia-based BN component parties will encroach into the state.
 
"Any transition of power (in Sarawak) will follow the state's law and follow the existing tradition based on Sarawak's political mould.
 
"This will be respected by all BN component parties including Umno," he told a press conference in Kuching today.
 
Umno has representation in all parliamentary constituencies in Malaysia except in Sarawak, which is run by locally formed parties led by PBB that later became Sarawak BN.
 
Yesterday, outgoing Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud ( left ) had urged party members to ensure that the state remains in the hands of Sarawakians.
 
This, PBB leaders had said, could be seen as a "keep Umno out" call.

Zahid said Umno also respected the decisions made by BN component parties.

"In this case, PBB is led by the Sarawak chief minister and any negotiated decision in the (BN) coalition must be respected by Umno," he said.

Zahid seeking advise on SUPP de-registration

On a separate matter, Zahid said he would seek the advice of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) on the possible de-registration of SUPP.

SUPP, together with PRS, SPDP and the dominant PBB, make up Sarawak BN.

SUPP is embroiled in a feud between its president Peter Chin Fah Kui and and former SUPP deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh.

Wong ( right ), who had initially contested against Chin for the top post, later withdrew and filed a complaint on irregularities with the ROS,  leading the party to be served with a show-cause letter on why it should not be de-registered.

Zahid said he has met the feuding factions and urged them to resolve the matter amicably.

He also denied a report by Sarawak-based Borneo Post that there was a proposal to merge SUPP and SPDP in a bid to save SUPP from de-registration.