Warisan got its mandate from frogs

The people of Sabah did not give Parti Warisan Sabah the mandate to form the government after the 14th general election last year, said STAR president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

"It is brazen of its president Shafie Apdal to nonchalantly make such a claim," he added.

"Please do not mislead the people and accept the fact that his is government built on frogging using statutory declarations, which is not in the State Constitution. Even after an alliance with DAP and PKR, both multiracial parties from Peninsula, Warisan still needed to horse trade to form what many believe is an illegal government.

If Warisan was a strong local multiracial party, it should stand on its own and not forge an alliance with Upko and two parties from Peninsula.

It should be pointed out that BN was returned to power in Sabah on May 9 with a constitutional majority under a single party symbol. STAR decided to ally itself with BN instead of Warisan.

Warisan’s resistance to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (PPBM) entry into Sabah shows that the party’s so called alliance with  Pakatan Harapan is not genuine.

If Warisan claims that the party and PPBM are like siblings, it should not feel threatened by the latter’s entry into Sabah.

Suddenly Shafie is seeing ghosts everywhere despite claiming that he has 45 seats in the state assembly and provides a stable government.

If Shafie can welcome other parties, he should accept Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu or PPBM) into the fold.

Bersatu entered Sarawak, and there is no reason it cannot be in Sabah as well.

Already, three parties from PH -- viz. DAP, PKR and Amanah -- are in Sabah and Sarawak. As already noted, Warisan itself is in coalition with DAP and PKR but fears Bersatu joining them and "perhaps clipping Shafie's wings".

True, it was said that Warisan would be PH's strategic partner but this was only for GE14.

"Strategic partnership" is euphemism for PH not forgetting that Warisan blew its chances in Sabah by not signing up with the then Opposition alliance.

Obviously, Shafie never expected PH to seize the reins of power in Putrajaya. That is the only reason that Warisan did not sign up with PH.

The ruling Alliance, being consumate politicians, know that Shafie was hedging his bets in case Barisan Nasional (BN) retained Putrajaya.

It must be remembered that Shafie only managed to wrest victory on May 12 from the jaws of defeat three days later, with Bersatu's support. If not for the party, the frogs would not jump from the legitimate government to the then Opposition.

Shafie should be wary that those who jumped into his ship may jump again.