Umno told to look in mirror before accusing others of betrayal
KOTA KINABALU (June 4): If one wishes to speak of dignity and betrayal, Umno should first take a hard look at its own history, said Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan.
The Assistant Minister to the Sabah Chief Minister said that he read with interest the statement by the Umno Kota Kinabalu Division chief and Umno Women's Exco member, Musliati Moslimin, who claimed that Umno is not a 'political tool,' not a 'script filler,' and not a 'buyer of false promises.'
'Ironically, this statement comes from a party with a long history of scripting flawed political narratives, including in Sabah,' said Nizam, who is also Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) information chief.
'The reality is, during the 2020 Sabah state election (PRN), history clearly records who broke agreements and moral principles. Just two days before nomination day, Umno and Barisan Nasional had agreed to contest 27 seats. Yet, when the time came, they contested 41 seats — a move that not only violated mutual understanding but also created confusion and early fractures within the coalition,' he reminded.
Nizam also said that Umno also still refuses to accept the fact that in a coalition of political parties, the party with the highest number of seats holds the priority to lead.
'The GRS coalition, which Musliati dismisses as 'splinter parties,' won the highest number of seats and thus rightfully held the prerogative to choose the Chief Minister of Sabah. This is not betrayal — it is the foundation of true democracy.'
More surprising is that Musliati makes no mention of the 'Langkah Kinabalu' incident in January 2023, in which several Umno leaders, including Datuk Bung Moktar Radin, were involved in an attempt to topple the existing government, he said.
He added that the actions of Bung Moktar and several Umno leaders not only threatened state stability but gambled with the people's mandate.
'Their removal from the Cabinet and positions in government agencies was the Chief Minister's prerogative, made in the interest of safeguarding the state's stability.'
He said that Umno Sabah must also come to terms with the fact that they are no longer the 'big brother' of politics.
'Nationally, they continue to lose public support, and in Sabah, the people are tired of the same old script — just with different actors, but the same plot,' said Nizam.
He also said that the GRS government today chooses to look forward, forging strategic cooperation with Pakatan Harapan to ensure post-GE15 stability and prepare for the upcoming Sabah state election.
'Ultimately, real power lies not in the hands of any individual, party, or propaganda — but in the hands of the people. Let the people of Sabah decide who is truly working for them, and who merely excels at political theatre.'
Musliati has described the experience of working with GRS as a betrayal of the trust and sacrifices made by Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) since the 2020 Sabah state election.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Musliati stressed that the state government formed after the 2020 polls was not the result of any one party's strength, but rather a coalition comprising several components, including Bersatu, PBS, STAR, and most importantly, Umno-BN.
She asserted that Umno had not only contributed the highest number of seats to GRS at the time, but also provided vital election machinery, resources and grassroots support which formed the backbone of the coalition.
'Bersatu, at that time, was still in its infancy and relied heavily on the groundwork that Umno had established over the years. Yet silently, the hand extended in friendship was met with poison,' she said.
Musliati also revealed that Umno had been sabotaged by independent candidates allegedly sponsored by certain quarters within GRS. Despite this, Umno still managed to secure 14 seats, more than Bersatu's 11.
She went on to describe Umno's decision to give way to Datuk Seri Pangllima Hajiji Noor to become Chief Minister as a sacrifice made in the interest of state stability, even though Umno had a stronger claim to the post based on the number of seats won.
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