.JPG "Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin is pictured at Parliament in Kuala Lumpur August 17, 2020. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Ahmad Zamsahuri")
KOTA KINABALU, Aug 19 ― The Youth wing of Sabah Umno threw its weight fully behind Datuk Bung Moktar Radin to head the Opposition’s campaign for the September 26 state election, less than 24 hours after a separate group led by Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan called it a “suicidal move”.
State wing chief Abdul Aziz Julkarnain pledged not only Sabah Umno Youth’s full loyalty and cooperation but also that of the entire Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition wing, to the appointment of Bung by party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“Sabah Umno Youth has vowed and pledged loyalty to defend any decision made by the party, besides ensuring that all machinery at the grassroots level works hard to win back the people’s trust in BN,” Abdul Aziz said in a statement today.
He urged others to follow suit to ensure their electoral victory against Warisan, which is currently the caretaker state government of Sabah.
“We urge all sides to respect the decision of the leadership, and we must move together and be united to fight for the fate and interest of Sabahans,” Abdul Aziz added, seemingly alluding to the emergence of factionalism within Sabah Umno.
Umno supreme council member Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who claimed to represent 12 Sabah divisions, criticised the party central leadership’s decision to put Bung in the driver’s seat for the electoral campaign.
Abdul Rahman asserted that Bung’s ongoing bribery trial to be a liability for the party heading into the state election when the party had many other capable leaders.
Bung has been charged with receiving RM2.2 million in bribes through his wife Zizie Ezette, in connection to a RM150 million investment in state-owned Felcra when he was its non-executive chairman.
