KOTA KINABALU, June 13 — Sabah Umno Liaison Committee deputy chairman Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak has advised Umno members in the state to continue to strengthen the party to make it a viable alternative for the people.

"Any action taken must have the consensus of all. Hasty action can be detrimental to us,” he said in the latest post on his blog.

Having different political opinions was not an offence and it was not necessary that politicians should be hostile towards one another, he said.

"We practise mature politics for the sake of our beloved country and the people,” he added. 

Salleh said the focus now was on efforts to ensure smooth Umno elections on June 30.

He also said that Sabah Umno respected the decision of the four Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) parties to leave the BN fold and form their own coalition, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg announced in Kuching yesterday that the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) he led and three other parties –  Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) had decided to quit Sarawak BN and form GPS. — Bernama