KOTA KINABALU: Sabah PKR has accused Parti Warisan of twisting its statements on flood relief while prioritising political defections over victims’ welfare.
Sabah PKR youth wing deputy chief Eldridge Laurence, who is also its Penampang youth chief said he regrets that Warisan’s secretary-general appears to have misunderstood.
“Or he deliberately attempted to distort the party’s remarks,” he said response to Warisan’s Datuk Loretto Padua Jr.
Eldridge said they never claimed Warisan failed to help flood victims.
“We acknowledged all who assisted, including Warisan. What we criticised was the conduct of Warisan’s top leaders,” he stressed.
He accused Warisan President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal of holding a political programme in Kota Belud while the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was working tirelessly to ensure victims received immediate assistance.
Similarly, he criticised Warisan’s Deputy President and the Moyog assemblyman, Datuk Darell Leiking for hosting an event to celebrate defecting politicians.
“At a time when people in Moyog and Sepanggar were suffering, Warisan’s leaders were busy welcoming political defectors,” Eldridge said.
On Loretto’s claim that Warisan had been the “first responder” since 2018, Eldridge replied with the people still remember Shafie and Darell standing on a Hilux flashing the ‘W’ sign to flood victims in Penampang.
“That tragedy was turned into a political stage,” he said.
He also rejected as “false and malicious” the allegation that Sabah PKR only responded after 48 hours.
“Datuk Mustapha Sakmud returned immediately from Mukah to be on the ground, while Datuk Peto Galim was already with rescue teams, where were Warisan Penampang and Warisan Sepanggar when the people were suffering?” he said.