Ex-Warisan veep tells of plot to push him out

 

Peter Anthony (red shirt) being surrounded by supporters of his new party, which he has yet to name, in Tenom today.

KOTA KINABALU: Former Warisan vice-president Peter Anthony has claimed that there was a plot by elected representatives within the party to bring him down before he left the party.

Peter, who quit Warisan in December, said he got wind of the alleged plot from Junz Wong, another party vice-president. They both went to see party president Shafie Apdal to ask if there was an effort to throw him out of the party.

It was then he learned that the plot was led by either a Warisan MP or a state representative. “But I ignored it and stayed with the party because my struggle was alongside the Warisan president,” he said today.

Peter, who is Melalap assemblyman, has said he left Warisan as the party has strayed from its true path, which is to fight for the people of Sabah.

He also announced he will form a new Kadazan Dusun Murut (KDM) party friendly to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah. Another Warisan assemblyman, Juil Nuatim, later also left Warisan.

Peter said he had not been given due respect as a vice-president during Warisan’s previous annual general meeting.

He claimed he was overlooked on speeches and felt slighted when lower-rung leaders from the women and Wirawati (Puteri) wings, among others, were given the opportunity to deliver their speeches.

“But I was not allowed to deliver my speech. This is unfair … I have sold my property to help Warisan from the start (but) is this my value to them?” he said.

However, the last straw was when the party decided to spread its wings to West Malaysia. He reiterated that Warisan was built on the understanding that it was a “Sabah for Sabahans” party.

He also claimed the party leadership did not obtain consent and feedback from the grassroots in the respective divisions before setting up operations in the peninsula.

“It’s not true that I quit Warisan because of my court case,” he said at the soft launching of his new party today at which he named Juil as pro tem deputy president.

On Dec 13, Peter was ordered by the sessions court to enter his defence on a charge of using false documents relating to a system maintenance contract seven years ago.

At the soft launch today, Peter said the name of the party would be announced when it is approved by the Registrar of Societies. - FMT