KOTA KINABALU – Not writing off the possibility of working with other parties, Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said he would not mind working with Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS).
He said he sees PBS as a fellow local party from Sabah, and identifies with its sentiments, desire, and struggles.
He also described PBS president Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili as his “colleague”.
“I’d love to work with PBS, honestly. I don’t mind working with PBS. Why not?” he said during an online press conference here today.
Asked whether PBS would want to work with his party, Shafie said it did not matter if PBS refused as it has been known for politically attacking Warisan.
Although PBS is not part of the federal Perikatan Nasional alliance, it is friendly to PN.
Shafie, who was Sabah chief minister when Warisan led the state government from May 2018 to September 2020, said that there is no denying Warisan has to work with national parties, adding that it cannot be cocky and do it alone.
Denying Warisan has had any talks of cooperation with Umno, Shafie however did not write off cooperating with the Malay-based party if it shares a common goal with Warisan – even if it is Umno.
“No (no such talks) and I am not sure who they (Umno) have been talking to,” he said on speculations that an agreement is being made between the two parties.
“As far as I know, I have not talked to anyone. I have indicated to my people that we need to build our house first.
“We can’t be nosy on the issues of other parties. We need to strengthen our party first, only then we can talk about who we can work with,” he said.
Shafie however said that Umno has approached Warisan for cooperation, but the Malay-based party was thinking only of its own interest.
“Why not (work with Umno)? But they only told us what they wanted; they didn’t ask us what we wanted,” he said.
The ideal political partner
Shafie said that he had also been approached by other parties for support, with one party leader asking for his statutory declaration to back the person in becoming prime minister and forming the federal government.
However, Shafie predicted that there will not be any single party that can lead the government by itself – not Perikatan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan, or Barisan Nasional.
The next general election can be anybody’s game, he said.
“So after the polls, we will look at who can work with us and the people,” he said, stressing that the issue of ministerial positions is not among the conditions to be set.
“We want parties interested in building a nation as this (relationship) will be long-lasting,” said Shafie.
He stressed that ministerial posts do not necessarily last.
Fallout with PH
On Warisan leaving from the PH Plus alliance, Shafie claimed that it was because PH no longer shared the same goal as Warisan.
He added that cooperation with his party is not about getting ministerial positions, saying that such gifts are not long-lasting.
“This is not about comforting Sabah’s MPs. The cooperation must be about building a nation. Touch the hearts of all Malaysians,” he said.
He said Warisan had pushed for amendments to Article 1(2) of the federal constitution to restore Sabah’s status as equal partners in Malaysia.
“This is long-lasting and the way to capture the hearts of all Malaysians,” he said.
Shafie also said he had as chief minister requested from PH-era prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to give Sabah the full 40% of its entitled revenue, but Putrajaya did not accede to this.
He however did not dismiss working with the two-time former prime minister.
“I don’t know. Of course, we want the interests of Sabah and Sarawak to be looked into. We also need to work with our brothers in Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.
However, he said Warisan still needs a partner in West Malaysia, reiterating that forming an alliance is important and is the nation’s current political trend.
On Warisan going national, Shafie said that the party can expand nationwide as much as peninsula-based parties like Umno, PKR, DAP and other national parties have spread their wings to Sabah.
He also questioned how the then finance minister Lim Guan Eng had in 2019 arrived at the RM12 million allocation for Sabah from tourism tax collections in the state.
Shafie said he believed Sabah’s entitlement was more than that as development was very much needed in the state. – The Vibes, May 11, 2021
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