Shafie transformed Semporna, says Warisan leader

TAWAU: Parti Warisan Sabah Tawau chairman Abdillah Hamid said a statement made by Umno Semporna’s Kg Balembang branch chief Datuk Ainal Fattah in a local daily on Tuesday that Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal failed to bring developments in Semporna are blatant lies.

Abdillah, who was former deputy minister of National and Rural Development under the era of Parti Berjaya and Silam member of parliament, said Ainal is living in Kota Kinabalu and is out of touch of developments in Semporna.

“In reality, Shafie has transformed Semporna into a developed town. When he (Shafie) was a federal minister, he brought a lot of development,” Abdillah said here yesterday.

He said Shafie brought 24-hour electricity to Pulau Bum-Bum, hybrid solar electricity supply to remote islands such as Pulau Larapan, Pulau Bait, Pulau Danawan, Pulau Menampilik and other islands.

“The Rural and Regional Development Ministry under Shafie brought lots of development projects to Semporna and Ainal’s village Kg Balembang was not left out where his area has a new RM8 million jetty,” he pointed out, adding that Ainal had insulted Shafie and in Islam it is slander.

He said if there was no development in Semporna and the people were poor as Ainal had claimed then Ainal as branch chief should have brought the problems to higher levels or during the recent Umno convention.

“When I was the Silam MP, I brought in some developments to Semporna, Kunak and Lahad Datu under the Silam parliamentary constituency. Now Semporna, under Shafie is developed,” he said.