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KUALA LUMPUR – Warisan’s criticism of Pejuang founder Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has not gone down well with Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan, who labelled former ally Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal as “syok sendiri” (self-satisfied).
Khairuddin, who is Federal Territories Pejuang chief, said blaming his party founder for the current political stalemate beggars belief, noting that Shafie had endlessly praised Dr Mahathir when he was prime minister.
“Today’s unstable political landscape is because of traitors such as Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and several parliamentarians from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government who took part in the Sheraton Move,” he said, referring to the defections that led to the collapse of the PH federal government in February 2020.
He added that Shafie “syok sendiri” as Warisan did not get much support in Peninsular Malaysia, and even lost some of its members to other parties.
“Warisan’s failure to retain power in Sabah (in the 2020 state election) was due to the actions of friends who turned out to be traitors. Don’t forget that,” he said in a statement today.
“What is Shafie’s motive in suddenly blaming Dr Mahathir? The truth is Shafie has ambitions to be prime minister.”
Khairuddin’s outburst came after Shafie yesterday blamed the political stalemate on Dr Mahathir and PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s ongoing “feud”.
“When in Umno, they bickered and then in Pakatan Harapan, they quarrelled to no end. In trying to grab power, they backstab others along the way,” Shafie told some 600 people at a fundraising dinner in the Penang Chinese Town Hall here last night.
He then recalled that when he was with PH, Dr Mahathir had promised him before the 2018 general election that Bersatu – a party Dr Mahathir founded – would not step into Sabah.
But, Shafie said, Bersatu made its way to Sabah the minute PH won the 2018 general election.
“Anwar was negotiating with us during the Sabah election, yet we were informed that he was also talking to other parties outside of Sabah at the last minute.
“If the likes of Dr Mahathir and Anwar can come into Sabah seeking seats, there is no reason Warisan cannot do the same in the peninsula.”
Later, Shafie told a press conference that Warisan will go into the general election alone for now, claiming that fledgling Muda is “being bullied” even though it wants to join PH.
Warisan is mostly based in Sabah with plans to contest in the next general election in Perlis, Penang, Selangor, and Johor. – The Vibes, September 17, 2022
