KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno welcomes former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s readiness to contest against Umno in the coming 15th General Election (GE15).

       State Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president’s statement would not be seen as a challenge.

       He said if it was the central leadership’s decision to defend its parliamentary seats in GE15, Sabah Umno would have no choice but to follow.

       “We have to go by what our central leadership calls for even though in Sabah, we are part of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition,” he said on Sunday (Oct 3).

       Bung said Umno was prepared to face anyone, including Bersatu, in GE15.

       He said Umno had gone through multiple challenges, winning and losing and winning again.

       “This is not a big obstacle for us. All our machinery must be ready to face the election when it comes,” Bung said.

       On Saturday (Oct 2), Muhyiddin said Perikatan Nasional was prepared to face Umno if the latter insisted on ceasing cooperation when GE15 came around.

       Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said during the party's general assembly in March that it was closing the door on negotiations with Bersatu, and that Umno would defend every seat the party won in GE14.