Bersatu shouldn't dream of contesting majority of Sabah seats - Umno info chief

Bersatu should not dream of contesting a majority of seats in the Sabah snap election, said Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan.

Shahril (above) said this in response to Sabah Bersatu chief Hajiji Mohd Noor who said his party plans to contest in 45 out of 73 state seats (61.6 percent), including in eight Umno traditional seats which switched hands to Bersatu through defections.

"Today, Sabah Bersatu said they will contest 45 out of the 73 state seats in the upcoming Sabah election.

"Two words: Don't dream," he said in a statement

Shahril added that if Bersatu intends to be a friend of Umno, then it should behave like one.

"We can discuss, we can negotiate. Sabah Umno has the autonomy to decide on the candidates and seats to be contested.

"But if Bersatu is already professing its intention to contest in 45 out of the 73 seats even before negotiations, then it is not based on wisdom and sincerity," he said.

He reminded that Bersatu's action in Sabah could reverberate beyond the state.

"In the current political scenario, Sabah Bersatu should think before making a move or statement as every action will impact the grassroots and it is not confined to Sabah."

Shahril said he was confident that Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin can manage the new political landscape in the state.

On Thursday, chief minister Shafie Apdal (above, left) dissolved the state assembly to stave off a coup attempt by his predecessor Musa Aman (right).

Sabah had 60 state seats in the last general election but 73 seats will be up for grabs in the upcoming state polls that must be called within 60 days from the assembly's dissolution.

The re-delineation process in Sabah was completed in 2018 which saw Sabah's state seats increased by 13, but the then BN government had delayed its formalisation due to concerns over Shafie's growing threat in the new constituencies.

BN lost power in both Sabah and at the federal level in the 2018 general election. The seat increase was finally approved in 2019.

Umno won 17 Sabah state seats in the last polls but the number has since been reduced to a single seat after eight assemblypersons defected to Bersatu, seven to Warisan, and one left for Upko.

All 16 Umno defectors had once again sided with Musa before the state assembly was dissolved by Shafie.

Umno and Bersatu are part of the Perikatan Nasional coalition that took federal power in March after the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government but both parties are now vying to become the dominant force in the Sabah snap polls.

'Don't be too egoistic'

In an immediate response, Bersatu Youth executive council member Muzzammil Ismail urged Umno to "watch its mouth".

"What was said by Hajiji was merely the party's desire and it is based on the track record of Bersatu," he said in a statement.

"Why did Shahril jump merely because he was worried that Umno's seats would be contested by Bersatu?" he said.

"Otherwise, just resolve it at the negotiation table instead of launching an attack through the media," he said.

"Have the people accepted Umno in total today? We don't want to repeat the mistake of Pakatan Harapan which fell apart before," he said.

"The main leadership of Umno and Bersatu have to take care of the matter and watch their mouths. Warisan still has a strong base in Sabah," he said.

"Be self-reflective and refrain from being too egoistic. We have to be wise in the political game. Don't shoot at each other," he said.

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