He admitted that internal disputes were among the reasons Umno and BN lost previous general elections, Berita Harian reported.

He also stressed that infighting among leaders only harms Sabahans and distracts from more important issues, such as solving long-standing water, electricity, and road infrastructure woes.

“There’s no Bung Moktar faction, no Abdul Rahman faction, no Salleh Said faction, and no Yakub Khan faction. There is only one Sabah BN team,” he said at the launch of the BN election machinery in Sepanggar, Kota Kinabalu, yesterday.

“We’ve lost twice because we were busy fighting among ourselves, with each leader’s ego getting in the way. As a result, the people paid the price.

“We must close that chapter and open a new one, and work with the mindset to win.”

Zahid’s comments came amid speculation of differing opinions among top Sabah Umno leaders, according to the Malay daily.

Bung Moktar refers to Sabah Umno chairman Bung Moktar Radin; Abdul Rahman refers to Sabah deputy Umno chairman and Tuaran Umno chief Abdul Rahman Dahlan. Salleh Said Keruak is Sabah Umno treasurer and a former chief minister, while Yakub Khan is Sepanggar Umno chief and an Umno Supreme Council member.

Zahid also said Sabah Umno has been given the autonomy to discuss and decide on cooperation with other parties for the upcoming state election.

He said BN remained open to discussions with any party for the state polls, not just the ruling coalition Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.

The current state assembly’s term expires on Nov 11 and an election must be held within 60 days of its dissolution.