00:01Sabah UMNO may be in its weakest position yet heading into the upcoming state election following public disagreements between its top two leaders, Bung Mokhtar Radin and Abdul Rahman Dahlan, according to an analyst.
00:15Rahman, who is Sabah UMNO Deputy Chief, had suggested that Barisan National made a mistake by pulling out of the state government in the 2023 Kinabalu move.
00:24Bilcher Bala of University Malaysia's Sabah said Rahman's remarks were likely prompted by a realization of the party's weak grassroots machinery and organizational structure.
00:37He said this highlights how quitting a government without a clear recovery plan can have long-term consequences on voter perception and the party's ability to compete effectively.
00:47Bilcher told FMT that Rahman's view may reflect growing awareness of Sabah's increasingly complex political landscape, where local parties like Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Warisan are gaining dominance, while UMNO is seen as carrying federal baggage, with Sabah UMNO now in its weakest position in history.
01:07Previously, Sabah UMNO Chief, Bung Mokhtar, advised Rahman to stop dwelling on the past over his comments on the Kinabalu move, stressing that the decision to withdraw support for Chief Minister Haji J. Noor in January 2023 was not his alone, but a collective decision by the state UMNO leadership made with careful consideration.
01:27However, Bilcher said the weakness Sabah UMNO is facing does not spell the end for BN's ambitions to contest and win as many of the 73 Sabah Assembly seats as possible, provided it can craft a new narrative that resonates with the voters.
