Shafie’s influence limited to eastern Sabah, says BN man

PETALING JAYA: A state assemblyman from Sabah Barisan Nasional believes the influence that Parti Warisan Sabah president Shafie Apdal holds on the state is not as widespread as many might be led to believe.

Joniston Bangkuai, who is state assemblyman for Kiulu, was quoted as saying by the Straits Times that the former minister’s influence is only limited to the eastern coastal regions.

“Though there is strong anti-federal sentiment in Sabah, Warisan’s pull with the voters is limited to the eastern coastal regions dominated by Muslim communities, espeicially with Shafie being Semporna MP,” Joniston told the Singapore daily.

According to him, Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman continues to control the central and western regions of the state, calling it Barisan Nasional strongholds.

The PBS legislator’s comments seemed to downplay the efforts by Warisan leaders to hype up the Sabah party’s chances of winning in the next general election (GE14).

“For the first time in more than two decades, the Muslims can turn to Shafie and a Sabah-based party to look after their interests,” Warisan deputy president Darell Leiking, was quoted as saying by ST.

Leiking was one of the state opposition leaders who joined Shafie after the latter quit Umno to set up Warisan last year. The Penampang MP was previously with PKR.

He added that Sabahan Muslims, who previously had no other choice other than Umno, now could vote for Warisan instead.

The composition of the Sabah state legislative assembly has turned to be more dominated by Muslim representatives after Umno launched its offensive on the state in the early 1990s.

This is more so after the controversial Projek IC is deemed to have given citizenship to hundreds of thousands of southern Philippine natives who are Muslim.

Such action has seen the number of Muslims increase to more than 60% of the state’s 3.7 million population.

Regardless of Shafie’s influence however, the recent action by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in detaining his aide, brother and others linked to his time as rural and regional development minister, is seen as putting pressure on him and his party.

Seven people have been detained so far in the MACC’s investigations into alleged misappropriation of RM1.5 billion in federal funds for development projects in Sabah. The amount was part of a RM7.5 billion budget for the state under the rural and regional development ministry. -FMT