Kota Kinabalu: Warisan Vice-President Datuk Junz Wong and Supreme Council member Chen Ket Chuin said voters in the coming GE-16 must elect representatives committed to standing first and foremost for Sabah’s collective interests, rather than following federal political currents blindly.
“Sabah’s 25 parliamentary seats hold the key to unlocking true state empowerment,” they stressed.
Both leaders delivered the message as they underscored how unity in representation translates directly into federal bargaining power — drawing a powerful lesson from Sarawak’s proven political playbook.
“Sarawak has shown clearly when a state stands united, its demands cannot be ignored. Sabahans must use GE16 not merely to choose a government in Kuala Lumpur but to build a solid, unwavering Sabah voice within Parliament that will no longer accept being sidelined or compromised,” Junz said during the annual general meetings of the party’s revitalised Damai and Likas Barat branches last Friday.
Chen whi is newly elected chief of the Damai branch emphasised that Sabah’s strength lies in the combined weight of its representatives, not scattered allegiances.
“We must stop seeing ourselves as separate or secondary. With 25 seats, if our elected members speak with one clear, consistent voice on Sabah’s rights including the long-standing 40 per cent net-revenue entitlement — infrastructure, water, power, healthcare and economic fairness, the Federal Government will have no choice but to take us seriously,” Chen stressed.
Both leaders highlighted that Sabah cannot remain a passive “passenger” in national politics, nor accept another decade of falling behind states like Sarawak while chronic issues from supply reliability to development gaps and wage disparities persist.
“Your vote is your strongest democratic instrument. Cast it without regret and cast it to demand a government that truly listens,” Junz urged.
When the people speak clearly through the ballot box, change follows,” he added.
The reactivation of the Damai and Likas Barat branches signals renewed grassroots momentum for Warisan in Kota Kinabalu and part of the broader push to ensure Sabah enters the election cycle with organisation, clarity, and purposeful solidarity.
Also present were Kota Kinabalu Deputy Chairman Melanie Chia, and Api-Api Assemblyman cum Division Secretary Loi Kok Liang.
