KOTA KINABALU – Warisan Youth chief Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman is playing down talk of his party getting ready for "something big" in relation to a political change at the federal level.
The Sepanggar MP told The Vibes that there is nothing unusual about a recent social media update made by his fellow party leader, Datuk Junz Wong, which has sparked expectation about Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal's next move.
Azis said the "good news" referred to by Wong in a Facebook post is only over Shafie's return to Sabah after spending a few weeks in Kuala Lumpur, and does not signify anything more.
As for the reaction by Warisan secretary-general Datuk Loretto Padua Jr, Azis said that Loretto only meant to say that his holiday has come to an end and it is time for him to return to the work.
"Of course, he (Lorretto) needs to end his holidays. He has a lot of work to do, such as updating the party membership and other party work," Azis told The Vibes yesterday.
On talk that party members have been instructed to be “on standby”, Azis said that a general election is inevitable and support for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister is running thin.
He said the orders from Shafie to party members to be “on standby” refers largely to the need to prepare for an election and does not indicate that Shafie intends to shift Warisan’s support for Muhyiddin to keep the Pagoh MP in power.
"We have been constantly having meetings via Zoom with the president and he told us to get ready for the election. Nothing else," Azis said.
He said Warisan will maintain its present position in allying with Pakatan Harapan (PH) until a fresh election is called.
He added it would also be unethical for Warisan to get involved in the ongoing crisis concerning the ruling Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) loss of majority support in Parliament.
"We want to stick to our principles; we don’t want to betray those who voted for us and are still with us, even when we lost in the state election last year. We won’t bow down to pressure and perks to turn our backs on them," he said.
Azis, however, revealed there are still things yet to unfold in the ongoing political crisis at the federal level and the situation remains fluid.
He said Warisan will evaluate the events and make its move when the time is right.
The Vibes had on Tuesday reported on speculation about whether Warisan will shift support of its eight parliamentary seats towards the Muhyiddin-led PN government, which now holds, at most, only 109 of 220 parliamentary seats.
Two seats are vacant due to the deaths of lawmakers Datuk Liew Vui Keong of Warisan (Batu Sapi) and Datuk Hasbullah Osman of Umno (Gerik).
Shafie’s return here on Monday had fuelled speculation and excitement, with Warisan members being told to be on “standby”. – The Vibes, January 14, 2021
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