‘GRASSROOTS WILL GUIDE LEADERSHIP’

Sabah Umno liaison committee chairman Tan Sri Musa Aman says that going down to the ground will better equip the party to face the 14th General Election. KRISTY INUS has the story

Question: What are you looking forward to at the Umno General Assembly?

Answer: The voice of the grassroots will be a guideline for the party leadership to formulate government policies and agendas, be it at the federal or state level. That is the importance of the assembly. These are the voices we wait to hear every year.

It is almost certain that this is the last assembly before the next election.

Thus, this assembly bears more signifi- cance as we listen to the leadership’s address on how we can consolidate our efforts and strategies, and strengthen our drive and determination to maintain the people’s mandate.

Q: How are Sabah Umno and Sabah Barisan Nasional preparing for the 14th General Election?

A: As soon as the government was formed after the 13th General Election, I reminded all party members that we must continue to work, whether before, during or after elections.

Going down to the ground is part of our culture.

Through this approach, I believe the party will be better equipped to face GE14 in terms of understanding and assessing the issues affecting the people.

For this year’s general assembly, Sabah Umno will send 350 division delegates. Sabah Umno has the highest number of members at 580,752, made up of ordinary members (213,597), Wanita (207,858), Youth (92,840) and Puteri (66,457).

Q: What are Sabah Umno’s strengths and how does the party plan to attract more young supporters?

A: Sabah Umno has grown from strength to strength since its formation in Sabah. It has become an inclusive party, giving roles and voices to all who decide to join the party.

While Sabah Umno is considered the youngest sibling, it has gone through a process of transformation, achieving the highest membership and being recognised as one of the strongest by the leadership.

Sabah Umno’s leadership lineup is tested and committed to the struggle. We are not seasonal leaders who come a-knocking only when it is time to fish for votes.

We are ready to cooperate with our partners in BN who have the common goal of serving the people of this beloved nation.

Efforts to attract the support of the younger generation are continuous, especially efforts by the Youth and Puteri wings.

Q: How important is it for Umno to engage voters on social media?

A: Social media is no longer optional. It is a necessary platform that must be utilised by the party and government.

The influence of social media is massive, pushing even conventional media to adopt the digital platform in the dissemination of news.

Sabah Umno and Sabah BN are no exceptions to this, and I have always stressed that we must not only be more aggressive, but innovative in using this ever-present mode of communication. Q: What are the biggest challenges faced by Sabah Umno, especially after the establishment of new Sabah-based opposition parties? A: GE14 is not our first election, and we have been through many obstacles in previous elections.

We have a strong election machinery. However, there must be no complacency. No resting on your laurels and taking things for granted.

Our challenge is to ensure the machinery understands and adapts to new demands in today’s political landscape.

There is nothing new about more state-based parties popping up. This happens during most elections.

We believe BN offers a better formula and deal, as we have a combination of national-based and state-based parties.