TAWAU: Barisan Nasional (BN) Sabah Election Director Datuk Seri Dr. Salleh Said Keruak emphasised that party strength must take precedence over individual interests and that the party’s struggle should always come first.
Speaking during the launch of the Radu Tatap Radu (RTR) program in Balung, Salleh said that while leaders may come and go, UMNO must remain strong as a party rooted in the people’s aspirations.
“Before UMNO expanded to Sabah, the Bumiputera Muslim community was fragmented. UMNO succeeded in uniting them and advancing development alongside other communities. This is UMNO’s strength—something local parties have failed to achieve,” he said.
Salleh added that history has shown how local parties often lose influence and public support once their key leaders are no longer in power.
“Parties that rely solely on individual figures cannot endure. UMNO, on the other hand, continues to stand strong because its struggle represents the hopes and voices of the people,” he stressed.
Also present at the event were Tawau UMNO Division Chief Ghazalie Ansing, Kalabakan Division Chief Samasuddin Yusop, and Kota Belud Chief Azuwan Marjan.
The RTR Balung program is part of BN Sabah’s ongoing grassroots mobilisation effort to strengthen its election machinery and clarify the party’s direction ahead of the upcoming state election.
