Sabah PPBM and Warisan bury hatchet to ensure Kimanis victory

Hajiji Noor (in red shirt, centre) raising his hands with other Warisan, PKR and Upko leaders at the state-level Christmas and New Year celebration today.

KIMANIS: Party leaders of Sabah PPBM and Warisan were seen together for the first time today, setting aside their differences with the intention to win the Kimanis by-election on Jan 18.

Warisan leader Mohd Shafie Apdal, at an earlier press conference, had called for unity among all the parties supporting the state government to win this by-election.

He mentioned the Sabah PPBM first, before calling out the names of other component parties — PKR, DAP and Amanah.

Many view this as a sign that the two feuding parties have decided to bury the hatchet.

There was an unwritten deal, made between Shafie and PPBM chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the run-up to the 14th general election, that PPBM will not set foot in Sabah and would let Warisan be the major party in Sabah.

However, several former Sabah Umno leaders, led by Sulaman assemblyman Hajiji Noor, brokered a deal with Mahathir to spread PPBM’s wings to Sabah in April last year.

Shafie had never quite accepted the party’s existence in Sabah since then. Hajiji, a former Umno leader, was later made the Sabah PPBM chief.

The two leaders were seen accompanying Kimanis by-election candidate Karim Bujang of Warisan to the nomination hall in Beaufort this morning.

Hajiji also delivered a 20-minute speech, talking about unity and cooperation with the dominant Sabah party.

Later, Shafie and Hajiji shared a meal during the state government’s Christmas and New Year’s party in Membakut town, 20 minutes from here.

A total of 29,664 voters will choose between Karim Bujang (Warisan) or Mohamad Alamin (Sabah Umno) to be their new MP at the polls on Jan 18.

Hajiji said: “We must make sure Warisan’s Karim wins in this by-election. It is my hope that our friends and voters here, regardless of their race and religion, will pick the Warisan candidate.”

Also present were Sabah PPBM deputy chief Masidi Manjun, as well as Warisan vice-presidents Peter Anthony and Jaujan Sambokong.

“We must give Warisan and the state government, under the leadership of Shafie, the time and space to bring about greater development for Sabah.”

Hajiji also said he had accepted the Sabahans’ decision in the 14th general election to pick Warisan and Pakatan Harapan to form the new government and no longer wanted to be dragged into the debate about who should be chief minister.

The former Sabah Umno liaison chief was referring to the chief minister tussle between his former chief, Musa Aman, and Shafie.

He said what was most important now was the welfare of the people and the economic development of the state.

“There is no more room for emotional politics,” he said. - FMT