My ‘little heart’ is with Sabahans, State and country – Shafie
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal has reiterated that his ‘little heart’ is with his fellow Sabahans and his beloved state and country.
He made this statement in reference to Umno information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa’s claim that Shafie’s little heart was still inclined towards Umno and the Barisan Nasional (BN).
Annuar had also contended that Shafie’s main motive in forming Warisan was all for his political survival.
“My little heart? Did he go and operate on my heart? That would be very interesting if these people were able to go and operate on my heart,” Shafie said with a cheeky grin on his face.
“You can be sure that my heart is with the Sabahans, the state and the country,” he stressed, adding that rejecting Umno does not mean that he does not love his country.
“I do not want to entertain this guy’s opinion. If I wanted to have my political survival, I could still be a minister under Najib (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak). But I raised issues for the nation’s interests, not for my own interests,” he stressed.
“When I raised issues regarding 1MDB and on so many things, it is not my interest. If I am thinking for myself or whatever, I can just keep quiet. One plus one is ten. I would ask Najib “do you want ten or do you want 20?” he quipped.
Shafie opined that political survival is where a politician would go along with whatever is desired by the top leaders. However, there are times when these leaders would say the wrong things.
Shafie asserted that Annuar knew that he had criticized government leaders numerous times, citing former Prime Ministers Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Tun Mahathir Mohammad as examples.
“I have been consistent. I used to fight with Annuar. I was (even) expelled, remember? I was expelled from Yayasan Sabah. I was out of job for seven months because I fought with him,” he added.
Shafie, when met during Warisan’s luncheon with members of the media on Tuesday, also commented on the highly controversial redelineation report.
“I mentioned in parliament that it (the issue of the 13 seats) involves questions on the Constitution. My opinion that I raised in parliament (was that) if they want to repeal (the approval passed in the Sabah State Assembly), it should be done during the State Assembly sitting. If they wanted to reject it (approval for the 13 additional state seats), then it should be done in Parliament.
“Under the Constitution, the Prime Minister does not have the power to repeal any amendments of enactment in the state. No Prime Minister in the country can repeal the enactment. It should be done in the Dewan Rakyat (Parliament). That is the highest house,” Shafie again stressed, adding that even Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Haji Aman has no authority to reject such Bills.
When asked to comment on Gabungan Sabah’s bid to seek a court declaration on the said matter, Shafie simply said that it was ‘up to them’ if they wish to do so.
Opposition Gabungan Sabah leaders led by Sabah Progressive Party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee is seeking a court declaration that the Prime Minister is bound by the Federal Constitution to table an Election Commission (EC) report on the 13 additional State Assembly seats in Parliament as soon as possible.
Yong was among the seven plaintiffs in the Originating Summons filed at the Kota Kinabalu High Court on Monday. Named as defendants in the legal action was Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the EC.