PETALING JAYA: The Sandakan by-election not only shows that Umno is no longer relevant in Sabah but demonstrates that the Umno-PAS axis is utterly irrelevant in the mission to build a world-class Malaysia, Lim Kit Siang said today.
One of the architects of the DAP’s historic victory in the Sandakan by-election, Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal is right that the outcome is an endorsement by voters of the Warisan-led Sabah state government and showed that Umno is no longer relevant in Sabah, the DAP adviser said.
“Most powerfully, the Sandakan verdict was a stunning repudiation of the ‘Malu Apa Bossku’ campaign of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who visited various polling centres in Sandakan yesterday morning,” Lim said in a statement.
“It is pathetic while the great people of Sandakan, regardless of race or religion, voted for a New Malaysia, New Sabah and New Sandakan, the Umno leaders were engrossed in the divisive and destructive politics of race and religion, with the Acting Umno President Datuk Mohamad Hassan declaring at the 73rd Umno anniversary celebration last night that how the public perceives the Malays is tied to how they perceive Umno.”
The advancement of Malay and Islamic rights and interests in Malaysia is now equated with the protection of corruption and the vicious and toxic politics of lies, intolerance, hate and extremism of Umno and PAS leaders, the MP for Iskandar Puteri said.
