Shafie insists Warisan will go solo in Sabah polls

Shafie insists Warisan will go solo in Sabah polls

PETALING JAYA: Warisan president Shafie Apdal has reiterated his party’s position in contesting the upcoming Sabah election on its own, following a call to reconsider the decision.

Shafie said it is time for the people of Sabah to see that their future is not dictated by pressure from coalitions or political manoeuvring, where positions are bargained for and decisions influenced by various interests.

“At this point, we have stated that we are contesting solo,” the former chief minister told a press conference after an event in Kota Belud yesterday.

“I have had extensive experience forming alliances, I have partnered with everyone. There is hardly anyone I haven’t worked with.

“That is why I believe the time has come for us to establish clarity on our direction and ensure that the people of Sabah are genuinely better off.”

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Shafie, who is the Semporna MP, was asked if the door for Warisan’s cooperation with other parties was closed.

He said that what unites the people of Sabah is having their needs met, including access to healthcare, education, job opportunities, as well as electricity supply.

Shafie, who is expected to defend his Senallang state seat, said these are universal concerns, whether one is wealthy or struggling to make ends meet.

On March 8, he had said that Warisan will contest the Sabah election on its own, brushing off speculation about forging electoral pacts with other parties.

He said multiracial parties such as Berjaya and Parti Bersatu Sabah previously won and formed state governments in Sabah.

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His earlier announcement followed Sabah Barisan Nasional’s decision to uphold its alliance with Pakatan Harapan in the upcoming state election.

PKR communications director Lee Chean Chung, in response, urged Warisan to reconsider its decision to go solo, in the interest of the state’s stability and progress.

Lee said Shafie’s announcement had disappointed the unity government, as the people of Sabah seek economic stability, job opportunities, reliable electricity supply, increased foreign investment and tourism instead of continued political turmoil.

He said Sabah had only recently attained hard-won political stability, and Warisan’s ambiguous and wavering stance risks undermining the state’s long-term progress.