Umno's pursuit of GRS deal driven by political realities, says analyst

Free Malaysia Today

3 days ago

Bung Moktar Radin says Sabah Umno is open to working with chief minister Hajiji Noor's GRS coalition at the upcoming state election provided seat negotiations are carried out 'with sincerity'.
PETALING JAYA : Sabah Umno's willingness to work with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ahead of the state election has been described as a calculated response to evolving political dynamics—one that analysts say may signal Barisan Nasional's (BN) waning influence in the state.
On Tuesday, Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin said his party was open to working with GRS for the upcoming polls, but only if the ruling coalition shows 'sincerity' in seat negotiations.
Bung's latest remarks signal a departure from his stance earlier this month, when he reportedly said that Sabah Umno would only consider cooperation after the election results were known.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah's Bilcher Bala told FMT that shift in position may be a 'pragmatic response' to the changing electoral landscape in the state, where GRS has emerged as the dominant force.
'At the same time, it may also signal a weakening of BN's influence in Sabah, compelling Umno to consider alliances it previously dismissed,' he said.
Bilcher said Umno's evolving posture—from outright rejection to a current openness to cooperation—suggests a recalibration in strategy due to a perceived imbalance in political leverage.
He added that any future partnership between the two blocs was likely to be transactional, driven more by electoral calculations than ideological alignment or mutual trust.
Bilcher also warned that such alliances would remain fragile and vulnerable to fragmentation without institutional reforms to promote fairness.
'Sabah's political landscape urgently needs mechanisms that encourage transparent negotiations, fair dispute resolution and equitable power-sharing. Only then can coalition-building become more stable and credible in the eyes of voters,' he said.
Meanwhile, a Sabah-based political analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity, took a more critical tone—calling Bung's appeal for sincerity 'ironic', given his involvement in the failed attempt to unseat chief minister Hajiji Noor two years ago.
'He shouldn't keep using the term 'sincere' as he himself teamed up with rivals to push the 'Kinabalu Move' in an attempt to bring down Hajiji. 'Isn't that a betrayal? So who actually isn't sincere?' said the analyst.
'His latest statement only confirms Umno Sabah is consistently inconsistent. That's not good for Umno Sabah as Sabahans might interpret it as Umno being in 'desperate mode' and are unable to go (to the polls) alone. Where's the bravery and confidence that Umno Sabah can stand on its own?' he said.
Akademi Nusantara's Azmi Hassan said Bung's appeal for sincerity stems from 'lessons learned' after friction arose when Umno and Bersatu, then led by Hajiji, cooperated during the last state election.
'Bung is talking about sincerity because of the lesson learned in the last state election. Umno and Bersatu worked together, but Bersatu fielded their own people as independent candidates,' said Azmi.
'Although it was agreed that there wouldn't be 'fake' clashes, Bersatu put up 'camouflage' candidates,' he said.
Azmi also said that Bung's stance mirrors Umno's position at the federal level.
'It's not that Bung is flip-flopping on whether to work (with GRS).
'From day one, Umno has wanted Umno Sabah to work with GRS and PH. It's not a flip-flop from Bung's side but a directive from the top,' he said.