Sabah Umno’s growing openness to working with Pakatan Harapan in the lead-up to Sabah’s 17th state election is no laughing matter, according to Libaran MP Datuk Suhaimi Nasir.

Amid mixed reactions to Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin’s recent statement on potential cooperation with PH, Suhaimi said critics have misunderstood the intent.

“This is not a joke. This is a strategic political move,” he said in a statement.

Framing Bung’s remarks as part of a calculated perception strategy, Suhaimi said the statement was designed to reclaim narrative space and test the political waters.

“In political communications, that’s called agenda-setting. It shifts attention from internal party noise to future-facing possibilities,” he said. 

“Statements like ‘the door to negotiation is open’ are not declarations of alliance – they’re tactical instruments to gauge public sentiment and invite discourse,” he said. 

The Libaran MP also suggested that floating the idea of collaboration with PH – a coalition that currently holds federal power – positions UMNO Sabah as adaptable and relevant, particularly after a long period of political isolation.

“Whether this cooperation materialises is for later. What’s important now is that UMNO Sabah is back in the political conversation – not just in the media, but in the minds of voters and the calculus of other parties,” he said.

He urged critics to stop viewing politics through a narrow lens of fixed loyalties.

“In modern politics, those who shape the narrative, shape the momentum. Politics doesn’t wait for permission. It rewards those who dare to build new roads,” he said.

“Under Bung Moktar’s leadership, UMNO Sabah is not just making noise. It is laying down new tracks – and reaffirming its place in Sabah’s political future.” – April 16, 2025