Join Pakatan, then talk about leadership change, Shafie told

KUALA LUMPUR – If Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal wants to change the Pakatan Harapan leadership, he must first join the coalition.

This is the advice of Amanah vice-president Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub.

“He (Shafie) can join PH first. Get registered in the peninsula, then we can discuss a leadership change at the coalition’s (presidential) council meetings later,” he told The Vibes.

The Pulai MP said it is Warisan’s right to venture out of Sabah, adding that PAS, which is based in the peninsula, has a presence in the Borneo state.

“If PAS can be in Sabah, Warisan can come here (peninsula), too. It’s a democratic right to form a grand coalition to face the next general election.”

Amanah communications director Khalid Abdul Samad, meanwhile, said the matter of the opposition’s leadership should be decided by the bloc itself.

“The issue of leadership is obviously decided by the opposition themselves. The one who has the confidence of the majority is the obvious choice.

“Whether a leader, once chosen, needs to be changed, is also up to his supporters.”

The Shah Alam lawmaker said any weaknesses on the part of PH leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim can be identified and worked on by the latter.

“The call for change should come only after the process of criticism and debate, whether publicly or privately, is undertaken, and based on his response.”

However, Kuala Langat MP and PKR vice-president Xavier Jayakumar rubbished the idea of a change in the PH leadership, suggesting that Warisan should instead “work with the coalition to bring down the backdoor Perikatan Nasional government”.

“Warisan is not in PH. We in PH are intact, and have been doing a lot more things in Parliament all this while.

“Warisan and Pejuang can support and cooperate with us in Parliament. With Warisan, we would have beaten PN through votes in Parliament.”

At Warisan’s annual general assembly on Saturday, Shafie suggested that PH consider a leadership change to win the 15th general election.

He also said his state-based party is looking at expanding to the peninsula. – The Vibes, December 14, 2020