WARISAN president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal was a young boy in 1962 and remembers clearly the day the Cobbold Commission came to his home town of Semporna, Sabah to ask if the people were agreeable to forming Malaysia. Flash forward to 60 years later and it seems that this partnership in nationhood has left Sabah and Sarawak far behind their “Keluarga Malaysia” in the peninsula.
At the core of it, Shafie wants to unite everyone under one roof, but this is proving a challenge in multiracial and multicultural Malaysia, where certain groups demand privileges over others, and as the federal government continues to exploit the rich natural resources of some states without giving back to impoverished local communities.
.jpg)
In the previous general election, Malaysians from all walks of life – whether at home or abroad – made the dedicated effort to remove the Barisan Nasional government, which had ruled for over six decades.
The Pakatan Harapan coalition was united in that endeavour – but this odd marriage of historical political rivals ultimately proved to be an alliance that could not hold firm.
What did Shafie really think of this coalition?
When Warisan joined Pakatan Harapan in 2018, he saw that the old culture of racial politics was still alive and well, even in this so-called multiracial coalition. While he acknowledges that nothing can be done overnight, a truly multicultural leadership (and government) needs to start somewhere.
Why is Warisan venturing into Peninsular Malaysia?
The wind coming from the east is essential now. It is timely. Because since independence, the wind coming from the west, entering Sarawak, going to Sabah, trying to inculcate that sort of values, moulding the minds of the people like Umno culture, PAS culture – it doesn’t blend well into the fabric of society where we can mingle well and freely.”
What is Warisan’s ideology and strategy as it looks to contest alone in Peninsular Malaysia?
With a coalition government a possibility in the near future, how open is Warisan to being a part of this administration?
Can mindsets be reset? Are inclusiveness, access for all to education, health, modern infrastructure, and social fairness too much to ask for?
What are Warisan’s expectations in this election?
Can Sabah lead the way for a fair and progressive Malaysia for all? – The Vibes, November 2, 2022
Presented by PETRA News chief executive Datuk Zainul Arifin Mohammed Isa, executive director Datuk Ahirudin Attan (better known as Rocky Bru) and editor-in-chief Terence Fernandez
Produced by Shazmin Shamsuddin and sound engineered by Ethan Phoon
.jpg)
