Dream on, says Junz Wong of BN’s aim to retake Likas seat

Incumbent Wong challenges Umno’s Seruji to contest him for the Likas state seat in the next general election.

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah vice-president and Likas assemblyman Junz Wong has dismissed Kota Kinabalu Umno division deputy chief Seruji Nawawi’s claim that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) can retake the state constituency in the coming election.

Wong was responding to Seruji’s statement that BN and Umno were highly confident that they would win back the Likas state seat.

Seruji claimed that Wong had won the seat under the DAP ticket, and not because the people were supporting him per se.

Wong said: “While some Likas voters might be considering about voting me, it’s very certain that Likas voters also want to vote for a party that can topple the BN and form the next Sabah government.

“Seruji should stop kidding himself as he knows very well that his BN leaders are now worried about losing power in the coming election.

“With today’s Sabah economic slowdown caused by several of the BN’s burdening flip-flop policies – such as the GST, subsidy cuts on many essential goods resulting in increased prices, ringgit depreciation due to a lack of foreign investors’ confidence largely thanks to the on-going 1MDB scandal and tourism tax – Seruji is still dreaming about wrestling seats.”

He challenged Seruji to contest the Likas seat in the next election, adding: “Hopefully he can keep his deposit.”

“Likas voters needed capable opposition leaders to voice out and fight for their rights against unfair BN government policies, which is what I have been doing,” he said.

“So, I haven’t betrayed my voters by continuing our struggle to push for a change of regime. I did not jump to BN even though there were plenty of opportunities for me to do so because I knew exactly why Likas voters gave their votes to me and I will never betray their trust.”

Wong said many Likas voters were initially confused and angry at his action to set up Warisan together with president Shafie Apdal, deputy president Darrell Leiking and other leaders, but he believed many had begun to see the rationale for this.

“If given a choice of choosing between an opposition or a new government to replace the BN, you can be sure that Likas voters will opt to change the BN regime,” he said.

“As a leader for Sabah, I need to make a decision for the best interest of Sabah. Some are tough but necessary decisions. For Sabah, I have to do this.

“Sabahans have always wanted a strong Sabah party to regain control of the state’s destiny by forming own their Sabah government which can make decisions in the best interests of Sabahans, without having to refer to West Malaysia.

“This is what Sabahans want and this is what Warisan and only Warisan can offer.”

The overwhelming support Warisan has gathered in just nine months shows that a majority of Sabahans, regardless of race and religious beliefs, are with Warisan, Wong said.

“In fact, many have walked up to me to give words of encouragement and some, who were angry at me before, texted and called me to give me support.

“Thus, I am very confident and positive that Warisan will win the Likas seat when we contest, because Chinese voters are showing great support while Muslim as well as other voters are firmly behind the Warisan struggle.

“In fact, I believe Warisan could win by a bigger margin,” Wong said. -FMT