Warisan: Sabah no longer BN’s ‘fixed deposit’

Umno divisions in the east coast of Sabah have collapsed, says Parti Warisan Sabah leader.

PETALING JAYA: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) is braced for the “winds of change” to sweep through the state as they claim that Umno branches in the east coast are “collapsing one after another”, the Daily Express reported yesterday.

Warisan treasurer general Terrence Siambun said though Barisan Nasional (BN) was still confident that Sabahans would remain its electoral “fixed deposit”, the facts show otherwise.

“Sabah is no longer the BN electoral ‘fixed deposit’. Even Umno divisions in the east coast have collapsed.

“Just go and see for yourself,” Siambun was quoted as saying by the Kota Kinabalu-based daily.

He cited Sandakan as an example.

The Warisan leader was begging to differ with a statement by Penampang MCA chairman Francis Goh, who said the “winds of change” will be blowing in Sarawak, “because there’s no Umno there”, but not in Sabah.

Sabah will not end up overnight under an opposition-controlled state government, reiterated Goh, but the possibility exists in Sarawak.

“The ‘winds of change’ are in Sabah for sure despite what MCA feels.

“In 2013, it was premature to talk about the change starting in Sabah, but in the next general election (GE14) it will be the real thing,” Siambun was quoted as saying, calling it an impending “political tsunami”.

Siambun, who won the Moyog state seat under the PKR ticket in the last general election (GE13), added that he may not be the automatic candidate in the seat for GE14.

“No one will be an automatic candidate in any seat. Given a chance, I will defend Moyog. It’s too early to say,” he said, according to Daily Express.

The state opposition won 12 state seats and four parliamentary seats in Sabah in 2013.

On that note, Siambun believes that Warisan will only be able to sit down with the other opposition parties after his party has introduced itself first throughout the state.

“We have to meet the people first being a Sabah party. Then, we may be able to meet with the other local parties at a big round table,” he said, adding such a meeting will also help determine “who we are going to work with, and who can work with us”.

Admitting it was still too early to say “yes” or “no” to working with other opposition parties, he clarified that other parties had approached Warisan asking to work together in preparation for GE14. -FMT