Warisan not anti-Putrajaya
KOTA KINABALU: A Parti Warisan Sabah leader has rejected the claim by an analyst that Parti Warisan Sabah is 'antiPutrajaya' and will not be able to garner support in the peninsula.
Basal Bullah who is the deputy chief of Warisan Keningau Division said the party has never adopted an anti-Putrajaya stand but disapproves of political interference in the State Government from any political party or coalition that controls the Federal Government.
"I am surprised to note that a supposedly learned academician like Azmi Hassan has made such a simplistic analysis when in the first place, he should have spent some time examining Shafie Apdal's speeches which are readily available on YouTube. He can easily make a search on Google to look at Warisan leaders' press statements on Federal-State relationship.
"If he had done so, then he would have known that Warisan upholds the idea of autonomous governance in Sabah that is in line with its special status accorded under MA63. Warisan rejects any kind of political interference or intimidation in any form from a political party or coalition that controls Putrajaya," he said in a statement yesterday.
Basal said that the political pressures started by PN under Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin on Shafie during the latter's tenure as Chief Minister were the reasons why Warisan leaders retaliated strongly against the Prime Minister that rendered many to assume Warisan as anti-Putrajaya.
"The issue came to light when the PH Government collapsed in February this year which caused PPBM to pressure the Warisanled State Government headed by Shafie Apdal to support PN.
"Shafie, however, remained steadfast to the commitment he made with PH and highlighted the need for Sabah and Putrajaya to forge a government to government (G2G) relationship with PN, in order to end political instability.
"But Muhyiddin was adamant to crush Shafie for reasons unknown."
He stressed that Warisan never condemns or has an anti-Putrajaya stand. Warisan believes that Sabah is an equal partner within the Federation of Malaysia and therefore, it must now play an important part in navigating the direction of country to return to the rightful path of progress and prosperity.
"Now compare that to some unprincipled Sabahan politicians who have been indoctrinating the KDM communities with their 'anti-Malaya' stand to the extent that everyone from Malaya is bad. These unprincipled politicians are now sitting happily with Umno and PAS to secure a cabinet post and salary," said Basal.
He advised Azmi to study what Shafie has imparted to Warisan because that will determine whether the party will grow stronger or otherwise.
"Shafie is a principled, humble and strong leader. Despite all the mockery he received from the KDM communities who branded him as PTI, lanun or pilak, he never deserted these communities but he soldiered on to unite all Sabahans. This quality has been clearly noted by the Chinese Sabahans who wholeheartedly supported him in the State elections last September."
Basal said PPBM doesn't have any agenda for Malaysians and instead promotes the idea of anti-secularism much to the chagrin of the Chinese and Indian communities.
"It will be PPBM that will be wiped out this coming general election instead of Warisan," he concluded.