Taking over Sabah a pipe dream, Warisan leaders tell Sabah Umno

Warisan vice-president Junz Wong has advised the opposition to stop wasting time on ‘useless propaganda’.

KOTA KINABALU: Warisan leaders have laughed off claims from Sabah Umno that the state government will soon collapse like other Pakatan Harapan-held states in the peninsula.

Warisan vice-president Junz Wong and the party’s youth chief, Azis Jamman, told Sabah Umno Youth chief Abdul Aziz Julkarnain “to dream on”, saying Sabah assemblymen are firmly behind Chief Minister Shafie Apdal.

According to Wong, every rep wanted to play a role in making Sabah a better place for future generations to come, except for the opposition.

“This is Sabah Baru where everyone is focused on rebuilding the state — not robbing Sabah of her wealth.

“I believe most, if not all people, are with Shafie and the Warisan-led Sabah government.

“We are intact. All our allies — Upko, PKR and DAP — are determined to see real changes for all Sabahans,” he said here today.

Warisan Youth chief Azis Jamman.

Aziz had yesterday claimed the absence of some two dozen Sabah assemblymen at a recent show of support for Shafie by several leaders from the state coalition was a sign that the Warisan leader’s position as chief minister is shaky.

Aziz also said it was an indication of what was to come in Sabah, which has remained with Shafie’s Warisan and its Pakatan Harapan allies, even as the coalition crumbled in Putrajaya last February.

Wong, who is the state agriculture and food industry minister, rubbished this notion, claiming many from rival parties are instead waiting to join the state coalition.

“To those who are thinking about jumping over (to Perikatan Nasional), I can only say good luck.

“Honestly, I don’t think any would. In fact, more want to come over — you just wait and see,” he said.

Azis told the Sabah Umno Youth chief to shelve any ideas of his party and his allies in PN forming a “back-door” government in the state.

He said Umno’s attempt to play up the so-called dissatisfaction among assemblymen when they failed to turn up during the recent show of support for Shafie was superficial, adding that this was only meant to confuse the people.

“It was a good attempt to play with issues. We know they had actually tried to persuade our reps to do the same as what happened in Kedah or during the Sheraton Move.

“But our main strength is the solidity among our leaders. Don’t be surprised if their assemblymen are the ones joining us,” said the former federal deputy minister.

Meanwhile, Wong advised the opposition, who he said was desperate and bankrupt of ideas, to stop wasting time on “useless propaganda”.

“Instead of ‘syok sendiri’ (full of one’s self), better to go to the ground to do something constructive for the people of Sabah.”

He said in the present administration, Shafie is always seeking suggestions from his assemblymen, even from the opposition reps.

He contended, however, that during Barisan Nasional’s time, under former chief minister Musa Aman, the situation was the opposite.

“The assemblymen went through life with no dignity and were basically just ‘yes men’ and robots. They had to shut up and do it,” Wong said. - FMT