Sabah Umno to get more autonomous power

KOTA KINABALU: Umno will stay put in Sabah and it will be given more autonomous power, says its president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

A memorandum seeking autonomy for Sabah Umno was handed to him by state Umno chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor during a meeting with state Umno leaders.

The supreme council would deliberate on this, said Dr Ahmad Zahid.

“With the endorsement of the supreme council, we need to formalise it by making amendments to the party constitution through an extraordinary general meeting,” he told reporters.

He said the matter of giving more autonomous power to Sabah was discussed initially through a special working committee, adding that Sabah made a formal request via the memorandum yesterday.

The issue of autonomy for Sabah Umno would be raised in his keynote address at the Umno general assembly on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur where he would make an “important announcement for Sabah”.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said any measure to amend the party constitution to provide more autonomous power to the state would also look at the legality of such amendments.

The move for more autonomy comes as Sabah Umno leaders grapple with efforts towards strengthening the party amid strong local sentiments for Sabah-based parties in the May 9 general election.

Sabah Umno, which led the state Barisan Nasional, lost its 24-year grip on power to Parti Warisan Sabah led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who worked with DAP and PKR.