KOTA KINABALU – Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal has pointed out that his party still possesses the single largest bloc in the state assembly after its defeat at the hands of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
Speaking to reporters after the official results of the state polls yesterday were announced by the Election Commission (EC), the former chief minister said that Warisan is the party with the biggest share of seats in comparison to its rivals and allies.
“And we can see in the results that the one single party that has the most seats is Warisan, with 29 seats that we won. I hope this is an appreciation to the public who had carried out their responsibilities (as voters)," he said.
“We will not forget the confidence and trust that the people have placed in us amid the unstable political climate in the country,” he added.
He stopped short of conceding defeat.
In total, Warisan Plus garnered 32 seats, including two seats won by PKR and one by Upko, while the GRS parties put together took the majority of 38 seats. Independent candidates won three seats.
The GRS alliance consists of Barisan Nasional (BN-14 seats), Perikatan Nasional (PN-17 seats) and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS-seven seats).
Despite their efforts to retain control of the state, the split votes stemming from the multitude of corner fights did not work in favour of the incumbent state government.
The election saw a record 447 hopefuls from 12 parties, including 56 independents, battling it out for the 73 state seats.
The low voter turnout at 58% as of 3pm due to fear of Covid-19 could have contributed to Warisan’s loss. – The Vibes, September 27, 2020.
