KOTA KINABALU – Wetrom Bahanda, the Bandau assemblyman from Bersatu rumoured to have left his party for Warisan, has been seen meeting Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal today.
Shafie was on a walkabout at the popular Gaya Street this morning and met Wetrom at a local restaurant.
In a press conference held at Gaya Street later, Shafie said that he would welcome Wetrom into Warisan if that is his choice, saying that the ball is in Wetrom’s court.
“Why not? We are sincere, we open our door,” he said.
When asked if Wetrom could become a candidate contesting under Warisan’s ticket in the Kota Marudu seat, Shafie said he will look into the matter, but sees nothing wrong with the possibility.
“If he is a winnable candidate, what’s wrong with it? After all, he is a Sabahan. On top of that, we want to unite Sabahans too. At the end of the day, it's winning the election (that is important). We need the numbers,” he said.
However, Shafie said whether or not Wetrom is going to be a candidate for the 15th general election is another matter, as Warisan has to first see if Wetrom is going to join Warisan.
Meanwhile, in a brief response to The Vibes via WhatsApp today, Wetrom said that he will hold a press conference this coming Tuesday or Wednesday to clear the air.
A video of Wetrom announcing that he will contest the Kota Marudu seat under Warisan’s ticket in front of his supporters in Matunggong, Kota Marudu had gone viral earlier this week.
This led to speculation that Wetrom was unable to contest the seat under Bersatu, possibly to make way for the Parti Bersatu Sabah president, who is also incumbent Kota Marudu MP, Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili.
Yesterday, Shafie said that Wetrom has never met with him to discuss the matter. – The Vibes, October 16, 2022
