Warisan hands rep’s resignation letter
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) has submitted Hassan A. Gani Pg Amir’s presigned letter of resignation as the Sebatik assemblyman to the Sabah Legislative Assembly Speaker’s Office here yesterday.
The letter, dated Feb 26, was pre-signed by Hassan when he was selected as a Warisan candidate for the 16th state election as a pledge of allegiance.
It is learnt other Warisan leaders had also signed similar letters.
The letter, addressed to the Speaker of the Sabah Legislative Assembly, stated that the signatory’s resignation as Sebatik assemblyman was with immediate effect.
The letter, which bore Hassan’s signature, read: “I understand with my action, I will not be eligible to become a candidate for member of the Sabah Legislative Assembly for five years from the date of this letter.”
Warisan secretary-general Datuk Loretto S. Padua submitted the letter, along with a copy of a letter from a law firm, to the Speaker’s office at 12.15pm.
The letter from the law firm stated that the firm had been instructed to submit Hassan’s resignation letter.
However, Hassan, via a Facebook post later, said his presigned resignation letter was invalid as it was signed under duress.
The first-term assemblyman said he only signed the letter as failing to do so would mean he wouldn’t be selected as an election candidate for the Sebatik state constituency.
Hassan last week announced his exit from Warisan to support Gabungan Rakyat Sabah as an independent.
He had cited Warisan’s focus towards politicking instead of serving the people as his reason for leaving the party.
He had also cited his disappointment with Warisan for rejecting the 2021 Budget when it was tabled in Parliament.
On Monday, Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal
said Hassan had broken his promise not to betray the people when he announced a switch in allegiance.
Shafie, who is former chief minister, said Hassan and other Warisan leaders had made pledges and signed loyalty letters when they were selected as the party’s candidates to contest the 16th state election.
A video footage of Hassan making the pledge was also shown to the media during Warisan’s press conference on Monday.
Hassan, in the video, had said he would resign as an assemblyman if he left the party either to join another party or become an independent assemblyman.