Sepanggar Umno Division is intact and strong

Datuk Yaakub Khan

KOTA KINABALU: Sepanggar Umno Division is still intact and strong, officially having 13,000 members after the cleaning up of its membership list completed. 

Sabah Umno Deputy Chairman, Datuk Yaakub Khan, who is also Sepanggar Division Chief, said the division has 20,000 members before the 14th General Election (GE14), but even after all unfavourable events that happened previously it still have such a strong grassroots support. 

“We will be going down to the ground to campaign to increase our members. I am confident that with the current scenarios in the country and the state many will be interested to join or re-join Umno,” he told reporters after he officiated the opening of the Sepanggar Wanita Umno Delegates Meeting held at Usia Hall here Saturday.

On the Statewide figure, he said they are still compiling figures from all divisions in Sabah. State Umno has over 500,000 members before the GE14 and a certain number of them were said to have left to join other parties after GE14.

“All the divisions have done the cleaning up of their respective membership list but some have yet to submit the figures to be totalled up, so I cannot say for now. We will have to wait until after all the divisions have completed their respective delegates meeting this month,” he said.

Yaakub who is also an Umno Supreme Work Council (MKT) Member, nevertheless said that the turnout at Saturday’s Sepanggar Wanita Umno meeting clearly showed that Umno is still healthy and standing strong, and far from what potrayed by certain parties that the party is already died in Sabah. 

“Today’s meeting is a proof to that. I would like to say to our grassroots members, especially the delegates, to take the opportunity from what being presented today and rise back...Umno need to become the champion for the people, in Sepanggar and Sabah, in general. 

“Why? Because when we look at the government today they looks like in a mess until we the people being burdened by the overly high cost of living, besides the many other things 

“During the last GE, the oppositions which has become the government today had in their election manifesto promised to reduce the people’s burden, promising the sun and the moon, but today what we see is that none of what they have promised can be fulfilled, and they are acting like they are still the oppositions. 

“They only like to look for and blame the mistakes made the past Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders. 

“Supposedly, after they have become the government, they should focus on how to help the people, the country, improve the country’s economy, instead of continuing to look for the mistakes of others to cover their own weaknesses...we in Umno will continue to say loud for the interests of the people at the grassroots level, we have never stop since previously,” he said. 

Meanwhile, State Wanita Umno Chief cum Sepanggar Wanita Umno Chief, Datuk Dr Jainab Ahmad Ayid, said their delegates meeting will endorse a few motions including on Sabah Umno’s autonomy and the requirement for those who re-join after having left the party to be disqualified from contesting for any party post for two terms.  

“They can re-join Umno but they cannot contest for any post in the party for two terms,” she said, while describing all the Umno members who remained with the party until now as the true party loyalists.  

   

She said in line with the wishes of the State Umno and Wanita Umno supreme leadership, they will go down to the ground to meet and be with the people and help them not only in voicing out problems but also to progress socially and economically.

“We are focusing on entrepreneurship and welfare not only for our party members, but for all the people,” said Jainab, who is also the State Umno’s Welfare Bureau Chief. 

State Wanita Umno Vice Chief cum Putatan Wanita Umno Chief, Juriah Palasin, was also present at the event which was attended by 360 delegates from 72 branches under the Sepanggar division. -PR