Shafie: Warisan, PH yet to decide on accepting Umno reps
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) and Pakatan Harapan, which formed the Sabah government, have yet to decide whether to accept former Umno assemblymen into their pact.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said assemblymen from United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) were accepted due to an existing collaboration.
He said although he accepted the support voiced by Barisan Nasional assemblymen, including from Umno, it did not mean that they were accepted into the pact.
“People come to us and give their support... and we accept (them). For Upko assemblymen, we accept them as we have a collaboration with the party.
“However, for Umno, we will have to consider and make a decision.”
He was responding to questions on visits made by two Upko and two Umno assemblymen earlier. They are Upko’s Datuk Limus Jury (Kuala Penyu) and Datuk Masiung Banah (Kuamut), and Umno’s Datuk Bolkiah Ismail (Pitas) and Datuk James Ratib (Sugut).
Four Upko and six Umno assemblymen have come forward to voice their support towards the Warisan-PH pact.
Shafie said he could not take in BN assemblymen into the pact without considering the views of supporters, who wanted the government to reject them.
He said state BN chairman Tan Sri Musa Aman should resign as most of the assemblymen had lost confidence in him.
“He can either dissolve the assembly or resign. But, in his case, he has to resign as Musa has lost confidence.
“There is an example of such incident. Tan Sri (Joseph) Pairin Kitingan was asked to resign after losing the confidence of the assemblymen,” he said, referring to a political scenario that occurred in the state during the Parti Bersatu Sabah rule in 1994.
He said he would begin his duty as chief minister and announce the cabinet line-up soon.