KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah chapter of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) is once again established and is preparing to regain control of the state as well as seats lost due to defections.
Sabah Bersatu secretary Abdul Kadir Damsal stated that 24 out of the 25 divisions have already been reorganized with new leaders, and their committees are in place after several top leaders left the party during an exodus led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor last year.
“Despite claims made by those who left the party with Hajiji last December, our grassroots support has largely remained intact. We have reorganized and strengthened our positions at the branch and division levels,” he said on Monday (Sept 4).
Abdul Kadir made these comments after a weekend briefing for state leaders, which was organized in collaboration with Bersatu Law and Constitution Bureau chairman Tan Sri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad.
The only division unaffected by the exodus was Beluran, which is led by Sabah Bersatu chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee, who also serves as a party vice president.
Kiandee is now the only remaining Member of Parliament within Sabah Bersatu, as the party lost all its assemblymen due to the mass defections.
While Kiandee, the division heads of Kinabatangan and Kudat remained, both lost committee members as a result of the defections.
Kiandee opened the briefing, which was attended by 156 division heads, committee members, as well as members from the youth and women’s wings. Abdul Kadir noted that there was a strong sense of solidarity among the new party leaders.
After leaving Bersatu on December 9 last year, Hajiji is now the president of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat). The party leads the seven-party Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, which has aligned itself with the Pakatan Harapan-led federal unity government.
Sabah Bersatu, previously a member of GRS, was excluded from the coalition that took control of the state government under the Perikatan Nasional banner during the snap state election in September 2020.
Abdul Kadir mentioned that with Perikatan gaining momentum at the national level after the six state elections in Peninsular Malaysia, there is renewed interest among the people in Sabah to join Bersatu.
“Since Perikatan is gaining momentum, we have been approached by many members from other parties as well as individuals without party affiliations expressing their interest to join us,” said Abdul Kadir.
“There are also many who remain supportive of us but will make the move when the time is right,” he added.
Abdul Kadir then mentioned that Sabah Bersatu and its Perikatan partners in the state are preparing to regain control of the state as the state election could be called before the current Assembly term ends in 2025.
Sabah Bersatu currently does not have any assemblymen in the party, but Sabah Perikatan, through its partners Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and PAS, holds two state nominated seats in the assembly.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
