Salleh said BN was “big enough to accommodate all” who shared its vision of public service over personal interests.

“We urge our friends and former comrades to come back and support BN,” he said at the Semporna Umno’s Aidilfitri open house today.

“Let us not be held back by the past. We may have made mistakes before, but they serve as lessons so we do not repeat them.”

The appeal by the former Sabah chief minister comes ahead of the Sabah state elections, which are due to take place by December this year.

In the 2018 general election (GE14), Sabah Umno and BN lost control of the state government and, as a result, many of their leaders fled to Warisan, Bersatu and several local parties.

Parties like Upko, PBS and LDP also left BN in the aftermath, with Upko joining Pakatan Harapan, while PBS and LDP became components of the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

Salleh also expressed hope that BN’s collaboration with Pakatan Harapan (PH) would yield long-term benefits for the people of Sabah and Malaysia.

“Unity is our strength. Let us put differences aside and focus on delivering good governance, development and stability for the people,” Salleh said.