Don’t get over-confident, Sabah BN leader tells Warisan

State BN Backbenchers Club chairman says only the people can determine if Sabah remains a ‘fixed’ deposit’ for the ruling coalition.

PETALING JAYA: A Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) leader has criticised Parti Warisan Sabah’s (Warisan) assertion that the state was no longer a “fixed deposit” for the ruling coalition, reminding the fledgling party not to be over-confident.

Abdul Rahim Ismail, who is Sabah BN Backbenchers Club chairman said Warisan treasurer-general Terence Siambum, who made the remark yesterday, should wait until after the next state election before making such a boast.

“He should not get over-confident with the support Warisan has garnered to date.

“Only the people can decide if Sabah remains a ‘fixed deposit’ for BN. When it comes to politics, no one is qualified to determine the fate of any political party,” Rahim said in a statement, as speculation is rife of a possible snap state election in April.

Yesterday, Siambun said although BN was still confident that Sabahans would remain its electoral “fixed deposit”, the facts showed otherwise.

“Even Umno divisions in the east coast have collapsed. Just go and see for yourself,” Siambun was quoted as saying by the Daily Express. He then cited Sandakan as an example.

Rahim claimed that Warisan’s “over-confidence” had led it to question and belittle the other opposition parties in Sabah and gave the impression that they would face the BN alone.

This, he explained, was based on Warisan president Shafie Apdal’s recent statement that the party could “stand alone to run the state”.

The Pantai Manis assemblyman also said that if Warisan does not cooperate with the other parties, its promise to champion the cause of all the communities in Malaysia would not be a priority.

“Base on this, I don’t think Sabahans, including those who support the opposition, will gamble away their future by supporting Warisan.

Led by former Umno vice-president Shafie, Warisan had last month claimed that over 3,000 members from BN, PKR and other opposition parties in Sabah had signed up with them.

In December, it recorded 30,000 members. -FMT