Kota Kinabalu: Warisan cannot blame Pakatan Harapan (PH) for distancing itself when the party was the one that first chose to go solo in Sabah, said PKR Sabah Information Chief Razeef Rakimin.
He said Warisan had already left PH in Sabah before the 15th General Election (GE15), beginning with the Johor state election where all its candidates lost their deposits.
“Warisan was so arrogant in GE15, stating that they could win more seats without PH because, for them, PH was just riding on Warisan’s strength in GE14,” he said in a statement, Wednesday.
“They even confidently fielded candidates in the peninsula. However, after contesting in more than 50 seats, Warisan was clearly rejected when they only won three seats and lost five seats they previously held, including Datuk Azis Jamman and Deputy President Datuk Darell Leiking,” he said.
He was responding to Warisan Information Chief Datuk Azis Jamman’s recent statement that Warisan remains committed to the unity government despite contesting independently in elections.
Azis had also criticised PKR Communications Director Lee Chean Chung, saying he had no right to interfere in Warisan’s political choices.
Razeef said Warisan could not shift the blame to PH when the party had made its own decisions.
“Warisan should not be pointing fingers at PH as if PH left Warisan when Warisan itself left PH in Sabah,” he said.
He also said Warisan President Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal had openly declared that the party would contest against PH in the next Sabah state election, raising questions about its loyalty to the unity government.
“Shafie himself, in several statements, clearly said he would fight PH in Sabah in the coming state election. So, it is no surprise that many are questioning Warisan’s loyalty,” he said.
Razeef also reminded Warisan that PH had opted to support the State Government rather than back Warisan and Barisan Nasional’s bid to topple it during the ‘Kinabalu Move’.
“We formed a unity government together, and PH was more interested in working to develop this State rather than taking steps that would disrupt political stability and ultimately hinder post-Covid-19 economic recovery efforts,” he said.