Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Umno Chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin welcomed calls for political unity among the State’s leaders in the interest of progress but cautioned against ignoring Sabah’s historical realities.
While supporting efforts towards political stability and development, Bung said unity must be built on a truthful understanding of the past to avoid repeating past mistakes.
He pointed out that from 1963 to 1994, Sabah was governed by local parties, a period he described as politically turbulent and economically stagnant.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“Frequent infighting and power struggles among local leaders shifted focus away from development.
Despite abundant resources, rural areas remained underdeveloped, infrastructure was poor and poverty persisted due to inconsistent governance,” he said in a statement, Tuesday.
He said huge progress only came after Barisan Nasional (BN) took over in 1994.
“With political stability, BN could focus on statewide development, building roads, schools, hospitals, universities and the Pan Borneo Highway. Urban and rural growth flourished under BN’s 24-year administration,” he said.
He attributed these achievements to BN’s structured governance, experience and strong Federal-State collaboration, rather than empty slogans.
While not opposing power-sharing or reforms, Bung said Sabah’s political unity must be rooted in clear policies, stable governance and genuine service to the people.
“Unity would not be achieved through statements alone. It requires wisdom, not sentiment. If state-federal relations remain tense, Sabah’s progress will suffer,” he said.
“Politicians would not bear the consequences — the people will,” he said, warning against sowing deep-seated political divisions.
Bung reaffirmed Sabah Umno’s commitment to safeguarding the State’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), ensuring political stability and fighting for equitable treatment within the federation.
“Reforms should not ignore history. We must learn from the past to build a better future,” he said.