Zahid’s political secretary Jamal Nerubi said Zahid’s trip to Kota Kinabalu is an official visit at the invitation of Upko president Ewon Benedick for a Christmas open house.

Several newspapers and the Bernama news agency had reported that Zahid was going to Kota Kinabalu today “to calm a brewing political storm”.

This was linked to talk that the opposition Warisan party had formed an alliance with Sabah Umno to take on the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah at the next Sabah state elections.

Jamal said in a statement this evening: “We strongly deny this allegation (of a political crisis). This is an official working trip and this accusation is aimed at tarnishing the deputy prime minister’s name and causing disunity in Sabah Umno.”

He said Zahid would simply be taking the opportunity to meet Sabah Umno division leaders, not to discuss political issues.

Zahid had been asked by reporters at a function today to comment on the political developments in Sabah. He had replied that he would be flying to Sabah after the event and would issue “a good statement in Kota Kinabalu on Monday”.

The claim of Warisan-Umno cooperation was made on Dec 14 by Warisan president Shafie Apdal who said Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin had agreed to an alliance to take on Hajiji Noor’s Gabungan Rakyat Sabah at the polls.

However, Sabah Umno deputy chief Rahman Dahlan later denied there was such an agreement. He said Sabah Umno had yet to decide on an electoral alliance partnering with any party.

Nonetheless, a Sabah Umno source told FMT that the alliance between the two parties was “almost certain”.

The term of the current Sabah government will expire in October 2025. However, Hajiji has hinted at the possibility of the next state election being held as early as next year.

The Sabah government is formed by a coalition of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah with 42 seats and Pakatan Harapan (7), and supported by Barisan Nasional (Umno) with 13 seats.

Warisan forms the opposition with 14 seats.