KOTA KINABALU: UMNO in Sabah is practising a denial syndrome with
regards to its members who have left the party and joined other parties particularly Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) in the State.
Sabah BERSATU Chief, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, said there is a denial syndrome among the UMNO leaders about the exact number of its members in Sabah.
He said because of this denial syndrome, UMNO leaders especially at the Federal level seemed like they are not living in the reality and do not know what exactly happening at the ground level.
He said they are so confident that they still have so many members in Sabah who are loyal to UMNO and as if there is no migration tsunami of its former members into Sabah BERSATU.
“They (UMNO leaders) should have stop with the denial syndrome, and instead go inspect and do an overall clean up of the names of former party members.
“Because there are UMNO members who had actually left and joined Sabah BERSATU, but their names remained as an UMNO member.
“There are not many Sabah UMNO members left after the migration tsunami into Sabah BERSATU..
“The Sandakan parliamentary by-election has proven it, when Sabah UMNO claimed having 9000 members and voters in the constituency who will vote the contesting Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS),but it did not happen because the UMNO members concerned have left UMNO and joined BERSATU and Warisan,” he said in a statement today.
Hajiji, who is also Sulaman Assemblyman, was commenting on UMNO Vice President Dato Sri Ismail Sabri Yakob who said Sabah UMNO still strong and many of former party members have expressed intention to rejoin the party.
He said UMNO is not “hotel” which allow people to check-in and check-out whenever they pleased and admitted he had received phone calls from former members who had left UMNO to join other parties who wishes to come back (to UMNO).
Hajiji, who is also a BERSATU Supreme Leadership Council (AMPT) Member, said Sabah UMNO actually is getting weak and no longer getting support, as many of its members have migrated to BERSATU.
He said actually the people and also UMNO members no long trust the
existing UMNO leadership, because they know and aware that the party
leadership has made a lot of mistakes like power abuse and corruption.
“I consider the talk about there are still many UMNO members in Sabah is just based on paper, and they actually already lost their confidence on UMNO and only waiting for time to leave the party,” he stressed.
Hajiji said although BERSATU is only four months old in Sabah, the people’s confidence on its struggles are growing by days.
“Sabah BERSATU is presently receiving at least 2000 to 3000 applications to become its member daily from throughout the State.
“This shows Sabah BERSATU is getting stronger by days and majority of those who apply to join BERSATU are former UMNO members, apart from those professionals,” he said.
Hajiji said it is not true and there is no such a thing that many former UMNO members who are presently with Sabah BERSATU will rejoin the party (UMNO).
He said except for several individuals who are frustrated because of not getting a post in Sabah BERSATU.
“For Sabah BERSATU, those who U-turned and want to return to UMNO are those leaders who only think about themselves and position, not on the party struggles.
“Thus, UMNO need to be careful and prepared when receiving back such leaders, because it will only be more damaging for UMNO,”he said.-pr/BNN
