Umno branches demand for Musa, Bung says all is well in Libaran

SABAH POLLS: Several hours after more than 20 Umno branch chiefs from the N51 Sungai Manila state constituency voiced their objections to BN's candidate Mokran Ingkat, Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin said the issue was resolved.

"This is normal in politics. Not all candidates will be well-liked. Even myself, people did not like. But after a while, they will like," Bung (above) told Malaysiakini when met at the BN Libaran command centre.

"Today was a meeting between Umno president and the machinery here. For me all is well, we gave words of encouragement to our machinery to ensure our candidates' victory in this state election," he said.

Bung, who will be standing in the Lamag state seat under his Kinabatangan parliamentary constituency, also reiterated that former chief minister Musa Aman did not ask to contest and so the issue of objections should not arise.

Bung earlier led a briefing for the BN election machinery from Libaran as well as Batu Sapi, which is a neighbouring parliamentary constituency containing two state seats - Sekong and Karamunting.

The Libaran parliamentary constituency covers three state seats - Sungai Sibuga, held by Musa since 1994, Gum Gum, and the newly created Sungai Manila seat.

Also present during the briefing were Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan, as well as Umno supreme council members Jamil Khir Baharom and Abdul Azeez Rahim.

When met later, Libaran Umno chief Suhaimi Nasir (photo) also said the issue of objections against Mokran had been resolved after his meeting earlier today with the disgruntled group of branch leaders.

"That was just a little confusion because the branch leaders, they previously thought that Tan Sri Musa Aman will be fielded on BN's ticket.

"But he did not offer himself to contest, so at the last minute, rather than BN vacating the seat, it is better we field a new candidate," said Suhaimi, the Sabah BN treasurer and candidate for Gum Gum.

He also said he had personally met with the branch leaders at his house after landing in Sandakan from Kota Kinabalu this afternoon.

"I called them to my house and we met... so now they have accepted," said Suhaimi, an Umno veteran of over 20 years, rising through the ranks in Libaran from 2000 as the division's youth committee member.

Musa's name is absent from all candidate lists announced by the various parties so far, fueling further speculation that he would attempt to contest as an independent candidate.

Quizzed on the possible impact to Umno should Musa make a surprise appearance tomorrow as a candidate in Sungai Manila, Suhaimi said, "I have confidence that it will not happen."

Meanwhile, Libaran Puteri Umno information chief Norazila Matra said while there was initial shock over Musa's omission, they were prepared to move on and support Mokran's candidacy.

"We give our full support because we also like to see new faces.

"We should try a younger candidate's delivery," she said.

Similarly, Libaran Umno youth chief Shariff Ismarhafiz Sheikh Abdul Rahman said his members will accept BN's candidates with an open heart.

Musa (photo, left) is technically still an Umno member, but his allegiance has been unclear since the 2018 general election.

On Wednesday, Musa sparked speculations on his political future with a cryptic Facebook post, "I'm going back to Sungai Manila".

Aside from Mokran and Suhaimi, Bung also announced Mohamad Hamsan Awang Supian as the candidate for Sungai Sibuga.

Nominations for all 73 seats in the Sabah state elections will be held tomorrow and polling day falls on Sept 26. - Mkini