The Malaysian Insight

FORMER Sabah Umno leader Hajiji Mohd Noor has defended his new party Bersatu, saying it is a “whole new political platform”.

He dismissed talk that Bersatu, formed by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is just another version of Umno.

Speaking to The Malaysian Insight on the eve of Bersatu’s launch in Sabah tomorrow, Hajiji said the perception that Bersatu is Umno 2.0 is wrong.

“There are so many differences – from policies, approaches and operation. But at this point of time, I cannot divulge more on this information.

“All I can say is that the way this party works is different from Umno,” he said.

The Sulaman assemblyman said it was not right to call Bersatu an Umno clone just because most of its members were former members of the party.

Hajiji said he decided to join Bersatu to follow the country’s political trend, where the people are calling for change.

Usukan assemblyman Japlin Akim said the struggle of Bersatu is different from his former party.

“I disagree if people say we are joining another Umno-like party. Bersatu is totally different,” he said.

Japlin said most of the former Sabah Umno members who have joined Bersatu were not in the party for position and power.

“That is the last thing on our minds. For all we know we just want to fight for the rights of the people,” he said.

When asked why he refused to join Parti Warisan Sabah, a state-based party fighting for the Sabahan rights, Japlin said peninsula-based Bersatu fights for all Malaysians.

“Warisan, on the other hand, only fights for Sabahans, they are too localised.

“We wanted to be holistic and for the whole country,” he said.

A grassroots incoming Bersatu member, Ruby Ayid, 60, said there is only one way to know whether Bersatu will be just like another Umno – by joining the party.

“We will not love a person if we don’t get to know them, right?

“Although, there may be some truth that Bersatu may be just another Umno, but this is a whole new party,” said the supplementary health practitioner from Tuaran.

Last December, Hajiji led a group of assemblymen, MPs, senators, division leaders and members to leave Sabah Umno. They eventually joined Bersatu earlier this year.

Hajiji today reiterated that Sabah Bersatu will cooperate and work with present state government led by Warisan.

He is also leaving it to the state government on how they would rearrange the Bersatu reps’ seats in the assembly.

“We are not aiming for posts or power. We joined Bersatu because its struggles are aligned to ours,” he said.

With the migration of eight elected representatives to Bersatu, Sabah is left with a weak opposition.

There will only be seven opposition assemblymen – two from Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku and five from Parti Bersatu Sabah.

Warisan has 31 seats, followed by DAP with six, four each with PKR and Upko, and now eight from Bersatu.