KOTA KINABALU, Feb 24 — Umno will remain open to negotiation for partnership to head into the upcoming Sabah elections due this year, said president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said that Umno’s doors should not be too tightly closed or opened too wide to alliances with anyone.
“This means that we are very flexible to hold party consultations with anyone so that this coalition will yield results to promote political stability, especially in the state of Sabah,” he said.
He was asked by reporters about his desire for Umno Sabah to be more dominant in the state where he said he was optimistic about making it a reality.
Sabah Umno has been on the peripherals of power since early 2023 when its chairman Datuk Bung Moktar Radin withdrew support for the chief minister Datuk Hajiji Noor with the intention of toppling him.
However, Hajiji, who heads the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah coalition, stayed in power with the help of Pakatan Harapan.
Zahid did not disclose whether Umno was already in talks with any other parties but maintained that they were still open minded.
“The important thing is that the main leaders of the party must be more open-minded for the sake of the people, don’t think only of the interests of a party alone.
“As I said, we are very open and we should not stop negotiating with any political leader for the good of Sabah,” he said.
The Sabah State Assembly is due to be dissolved by the third quarter of the year, paving the way for fresh elections.
However, there are no clear political alliances set up yet.
