G57 anticipates continued decline in grassroots support for Umno Sabah

KOTA KINABALU - Gerakan Kuasa Malaysia (G57) expects grassroots support for Umno Sabah to continue declining in the upcoming 17th Sabah State Election.

The group's chairman, Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar claims that the division within Umno Sabah has existed for a long time, despite denials from Umno Sabah Chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.

"As a political activist who has been at the forefront of assisting Umno Sabah since 1999, I can confirm that members, including Umno Sabah leaders, have indeed split into two factions.

"Despite Bung Moktar's denials, Umno Sabah has lost support from grassroots members, and data indicates that this trend will continue leading up to the State Election," Zulkarnain said in a statement today.

Zulkarnain's remarks come in response to Bung Moktar's denial that Umno Sabah has split into two factions.

He also pointed out that despite the lack of open protests from Umno Sabah's leadership and members, this does not mean that they support collaboration with Parti Warisan (Warisan).

"The previous attempt to overthrow the Umno-Warisan collaboration to topple Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor's government was the main reason five Umno assemblymen left the party.

"Umno Sabah has also lost many potential future leaders who have migrated to Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat)," he added.

Zulkarnain also reminded Sabahans, including Umno Sabah members, of the hardships experienced during the Warisan-led government under Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

"Unemployment escalated, Sabah's economy plummeted, issues of cronyism emerged, there was a failure to attract investors to Sabah, and, most importantly, there was resentment among Umno members when Umno only managed to govern Sabah for two days before being overthrown by Shafie Apdal," he said.