Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) lecturer Lee Kuok Tiung said the party’s month-end polls will be a critical platform to, among others, change the negative perceptions people have towards Umno, especially in the state.
It is an opportunity for Umno to rebrand itself, injecting younger blood into the party, he said.
“We’ll see more ‘genuine’ Umno party members running the party this time around.
“This is the best chance to inject fresh faces into the mix that should also contain a handful of experienced hands. It’s not a time to discuss positions in the party but to revamp the party,” he told FMT.
Lee said Sabah Umno had initially secured 17 out of the 29 state seats won by the Sabah Barisan Nasional in the 14th general election (GE14).
“This means the party still has its supporters and it’s too early to write them off now,” he said, adding the negative perceptions among Sabahans of Umno were that it was the domineering party in BN.
“The distribution of semi-urban and rural seats between BN and the Parti Warisan Sabah-Pakatan Harapan tie-up in GE14 was almost the same.
“Those who won the urban seats were the kingmakers,” he said.
Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman Musa Aman was sworn in as chief minister on the night of May 10, at 11pm, a day after the May 9 polls.
Eventually, six BN assemblymen from Umno and Upko left the former ruling coalition to pledge their support for Warisan president Shafie Apdal as the new chief minister.
With a new majority of 35 seats against BN’s 25, based on the support of elected reps, Shafie was sworn in as chief minister on Saturday, May 12.
Meanwhile, Lee saw no problem in state Umno members contesting in the party’s elections despite talk that the peninsula-based party might be disbanded in Sabah.
“No harm in this because after all, in case they decide to form a new local-based Sabah party, they can just use whoever is elected to be the protem committee,” he said.
He pointed out that the Sabah Umno divisions should also consider injecting new blood into their fold to woo younger supporters.
“There will be lots of names we’ve never heard of before, I guess.
“But people like Sabah Umno treasurer Hajiji Mohd Noor and Sabah Umno assistant secretary Masidi Manjun, both previously ministers, deserve chances at the central level,” Lee said.
He added such figures had proven to be capable leaders and party loyalists, with a good track record.
Hajiji and Masidi were both victorious in GE14, winning the Sulaman and Karanaan state seats respectively with convincing margins.
All things considered, Lee said it will be interesting to see how Umno goes into its polls this June 30 as a member of the country’s opposition bloc.
“Indeed this will be an interesting Umno party election — the first time as an opposition party.
“We have the opportunity to see who the genuine Umno members or believers are, those who have stayed back to fight together during these turbulent times.
“DAP and PKR also experienced such times when they were almost wiped out in Malaysian politics but they managed to come back,” he said, adding PKR only managed to win one seat in the 2004 general election.
PKR actually lost four of its five seats that year, with DAP winning 12 parliamentary seats. BN enjoyed an astounding victory, winning 198 of the 219 federal seats.
Umno itself won 109 seats, which was a gain of 32 seats from the previous election.