KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal today brushed off talk of a snap election in the state, saying his administration has the numbers to govern until the end of its term.
Shafie, who is Warisan president, also said he was unconcerned about such suggestions as he was focused on building up the state.
“Why should I (call for a snap election)?” he told reporters here after launching Sabah’s second Covid-19 stimulus package worth RM240 million.
“I don’t want to stop the people from having their views, but under the state constitution it’s quite clear that we have another two and a half years to govern the state.
“Let me focus on running the state, and not on talk of elections, crossovers or buying here and there. What’s important is the people and economy.”
He was responding to Sabah DAP’s Sri Tanjong assemblyman Jimmy Wong who was quoted by a local daily as urging him to call for fresh elections.
Wong, who is an assistant minister to the chief minister, had suggested a snap election in the state to stop assemblymen from crossing over and forming a backdoor government.
His comments came after the exit of two Upko assemblymen on Monday.
However, Shafie said Sabah did not need an election as it was not a hung state assembly.
“Maybe at the federal level, but not in Sabah,” he said.
“We have 45 assemblymen with us. Even if some quit, I will still be in the government. So there’s no need to dissolve the state assembly.”
On a separate matter, he said he had no intention of asking Sabah Infrastructure Development Minister Peter Anthony to go on leave despite the Warisan vice-president facing several charges in court.
“Why should I until he’s proven guilty?”
Anthony had appeared for the second time in court today where he was charged with abetting in the Risda land deal.
The Melalap assemblyman, who also faces five counts of money laundering amounting to RM8.75 million, pleaded not guilty to abetting Micheal Persius Ubu, the lawyer hired by Risda to see through the purchase of a plot of land in Tongod, in interior Sabah.
Shafie, who is Semporna MP, also dismissed talk of being named as Pakatan Harapan’s deputy prime minister candidate.
“Sabah and Sarawak have been waiting for almost 60 years but not even one (of us have been appointed as deputy prime minister).
“It doesn’t have to be me,” he added. “There are others. In Sarawak also there are those who are qualified. But that is up to them.”
He likewise brushed off claims that more assemblymen would leave following the exit of the duo from Upko.
“Whatever the political interference, we will face it as a team. If they had the numbers, I’m sure they would have administered the state and country long ago.” -FMT
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