SANDAKAN: Parti Warisan, Sabah Star and Parti KDM signalled closer cooperation ahead of the 16th General Election (GE16), at Warisan’s 10th annual meeting (AGM), here, Sunday.
The presence of Parti KDM Acting President Priscella Peter and Sabah Star Acting Deputy President Datuk Lawrence Gimbang, accompanied by members of their respective parties, added to indications of closer ties among the three Sabah-based parties.
Asked about cooperation with other parties during a press conference after the AGM, Warisan President Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal pointed to their attendance.
“Their presence here today is quite clear,” he said.
However, Shafie stopped short of announcing a formal electoral pact, saying arrangements remained at an early stage. He stressed that cooperation must be built on sincerity, with each party contributing its strengths rather than seeking to dominate others.
“The strength of one party can help overcome the weaknesses of another. We should not take everything simply because we are stronger,” he said. He added that the priority was to ensure any cooperation translated into electoral success.
“What is important is winning. There is no point fielding candidates if they cannot win,” he said. Shafie also spoke of Warisan’s intention to contest 26 parliamentary seats in Sabah and Labuan.
However, he did not clarify whether the seats would be contested entirely by Warisan or through an arrangement involving other parties.
He indicated that discussions on potential candidates and electoral cooperation were still at an early stage.
Shafie said his experience of working with various political parties, including Umno, PKR and Amanah, had taught him valuable lessons about political cooperation.
He also acknowledged that Sabah-based parties could not afford to disregard their working relationship with the Federal Government.
“Whether we like it or not, we have to work with KL,” he said.
He pointed out that Sabah held only 25 of the 222 parliamentary seats, making federal cooperation necessary even as local parties sought to strengthen Sabah’s political voice.
Shafie maintained that Sabah-based parties were capable of safeguarding the State’s interests, recalling that Malaysia was formed in 1963 without the presence of peninsula-based political parties in Sabah.
He said experience demonstrated the importance of local political leadership and cooperation in protecting the State’s rights.
