Warisan, PH have ‘verbal agreement’, says Siambun
PENAMPANG: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) has reiterated its willingness to work with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the fight against Barisan Nasional (BN) government as the two parties have made a ‘verbal and electoral’ agreement with each other.
Warisan treasurer Terrence Siambun said in a statement in reference to the party’s willingness to work with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad as interim prime minister candidate for PH.
“I do not see any issues about it (working with Mahathir and PH) at all. Like what president (Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal) has been emphasizing, Parti Warisan Sabah has made a verbal and electoral agreement to work together (with PH),” Siambun said during Warisan’s walkabout at Tamu Donggongon yesterday.
However, the Moyog assemblyman stressed that Warisan had not made any agreement to join the PH pact.
“We have always emphasized to the people that we are in support of Pakatan Harapan to topple down the government... and for us in Sabah, we can do that part. We can lead that role,” he said.
Siambun said the purpose of the walkabout was to meet with the people of Penampang and to distribute calendars.
“Today is about meeting the people on the ground and the businesses. We just want to greet them and wish them a Happy Chinese New Year.
“At the same time, we want to ask the people about the upcoming elections and their grievances,” Siambun said.
He added that Warisan would usually conduct walkabout across the state on a weekly basis.
Also present in the walkabout was Warisan secretary-general Loretto Padua Jr.
Meanwhile, Siambun said Warisan was glad to see that the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Organisation (Upko) will be fielding young candidates in Penampang for the upcoming 14th General Elections (GE14).
He said the decision to field young candidates was ‘good and encouraging’.
“To tell you the truth, we hope that they (Upko) will do so (to field young candidates). This is because we can see that they have been fielding the same faces for the past few years.
“Some of them had been serving for more than three or five terms,” Siambun said to reporters during Warisan’s walkabout at Tamu Donggongon on Thursday.
The Moyog assemblyman asserted that the time had come for Upko to give way to young faces and their aspirations.
Siambun was referring to a recent statement made by Upko acting president Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, who disclosed that Upko intends to field ‘young, energetic and vibrant’ candidates in GE14.
Siambun had also expressed his confidence that Warisan would be able retain its Penampang seats in GE14.
“As I look at it, with the momentum that Warisan is heading for, not only for Penampang but for the whole of Sabah... I think that we have good chances,” Siambun said.
He said that he had no doubts as ‘the voices from the grassroots’ had called for Warisan to be more offensive and aggressive in the next election.