MUSA AMAN GIVE ME VOTES? DON’T COME TO MY HOMETOWN & TELL LIES – SHAFIE TICKS OFF SABAH CM

KOTA KINABALU — Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal rejected yesterday Sabah Umno chief Tan Sri Musa Aman’s claim of supporting the former’s bid to be a party vice-president in 2009.

The Parti Warisan Sabah was responding to attacks by Musa and Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak during the pair’s visit here on Monday.

Commenting on Musa’s claim that he yielded the berth to Shafie and backed the latter, the former Umno leader insisted this was untrue, adding that Musa’s division was one of three that did not vote for him.

“I got 100 per cent vote from five states, but in Sabah, Libaran, Penampang and KK did not give me their votes.

“So he did not support me. Why should I thank him? Don’t come to my hometown and lie to the people there,” he said.

Shafie was speaking to a crowd of supporters and residents of Kampung Likas who had gathered to welcome the entry of seven former Umno Sepanggar members who were joining Warisan.

On Monday, Musa claimed he had been asked to contest the Umno vice presidency in 2009, but chose to make way for Shafie, whom he said asked for his support.

Musa portrayed Shafie as ungrateful, claiming the latter snubbed him once he won the post and was made a federal minister.

Shafie was dropped from the Cabinet in 2016 for criticising the Umno leadership. He then quit the party and went on to form Warisan.

On a recent clash between BN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and local Parti Bersatu Sabah, Shafie urged the party to quit the coalition.

Zahid had asked the BN component to “lend” the Matunggong seat to Umno so that it could be brought back into BN’s stable.

Acting PBS president Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili and the division reacted negatively to the proposal, and threatened to withdraw from BN unless the matter was dropped.

In the 2013 general election, BN candidate Sarapin Magana narrowly lost the Matunggong seat to Datuk Jelani Hamdan who contested under Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s ticket, but has since joined Umno.

MALAY MAIL