From change to unity, Warisan's evolving message in Sabah polls

SABAH POLLS | In 2018, Warisan’s slogan was ‘In God we trust, change we must’. Two years later, after a coup attempt saw a number of their representatives jumping to the other side, Warisan now highlights a message of unity.

With the Sabah election campaign now in full swing, billboards have been appearing around Kota Kinabalu depicting a stylised portrait of Warisan president Shafie Apdal, often accompanied by their new slogan ‘In God we trust, unite we must’ or simply the word ‘Unity’.

The design of the portrait is reminiscent of the iconic ‘Hope’ poster of former US president Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign as designed by artist Shepard Fairey, whereas Warisan’s slogan is very similar to the US official motto - ‘In God we trust’.

Warisan deputy president Darell Leiking said they drew their inspiration from the Sabah flag as reflected in the colours of Shafie’s portrait.

“(The Obama poster’s) inspiration is the Americans. Look at what has happened to the US after Obama left.

“They have got black and white issues that have been revived back, but in Sabah, we don’t want that to happen ever again, where you are divided by race or by your religion.

“Shafie feels we cannot look at a person based on his or her colour or beliefs but based on the merits we have.

“The merits we have is that our people have united before, why can’t we do it again but this time a more enhanced one between the east coast, west coast and the interiors of Sabah,” said Leiking to reporters after a ceramah at Donggongon, Penampang today.

Leiking also said that Warisan had already achieved change as espoused in their 2018 slogan.

However, there were party members who could not accept the change, he said, which was how so many of the Warisan government’s representatives were enticed to jump ship.

Leiking was referring to the defection of several Warisan lawmakers who had joined former chief minister Musa Aman's attempt at a political coup.

On July 29, Musa announced he had secured enough defections to take over the Sabah government and had tried to get himself sworn in as the chief minister.

However, he was thwarted after the state's governor, Juhar Mahiruddin consented to incumbent chief minister Shafie's request to dissolve the state legislative assembly, paving the way for the state election on Sept 26.

“So then the next step was, after we faced these challenges (of defections), Shafie told all the leadership of Warisan that we must now unite. We must unite Sabah.

“That is why ‘unite we must’,” Leiking explained. - Mkini