MEMBAKUT: Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has hit out at former Umno Youth minister Khairy Jamaluddin for his attack of the partnership between Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) and Pakatan Harapan (PH).
He said the collaboration is real and necessary, as Warisan alone would not be able to defeat Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN), which had led the federal government for six decades until the 14th general election.
"In our effort to topple BN and Umno (here), we cannot do it alone. We realise that the (Warisan-led) state government needs to work with the central government. We must work together with our friends in Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.
"Just like how Warisan and the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Organisation (Upko, a former BN component party) agreed to work together to change the country's administration.
"It doesn't mean that because we are vocal about Sabah rights and interests, we need to rescind our position (when collaborate with) the federal government (to defeat the opposition)," he told reporters after a Kimanis by-election campaign talk in Kampung Laut near Bongawan here, last night.
The Warisan president said this in response to Khairy's statement that three Warisan federal ministers should step down from federal cabinet if Warisan thinks it is a Sabah party for Sabahans.
Khairy also claimed that the Warisan federal ministers are weak and do not carry out their duties well.
"We have different voices and opinions. I am a 'wakil rakyat'. I am the Chief Minister and I have to voice out the interests of Sabah, and not of Negri Sembilan or Kelantan. In forming a nation, I 'bermuafakat' (have consensus) with (Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad)'," stressed Shafie.
Meanwhile, Warisan veep Datuk Peter Anthony said that local opposition parties are harping about fighting for Sabah rights, while at the same time supporting a Peninsula-based party in the Kimanis parliamentary by-election.
“Local opposition parties, including Parti Bersatu Sabah, had said that they will only support a candidate who is against the Sabah Temporary Pass and illegal immigrants. But, are they genuinely fighting for Sabah rights?
"Look at (Datuk Dr) Jeffrey Kitingan (of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku), who was the first to raise (former Chief Minister Tan Sri) Musa Aman’s hand when there was a change in government,” he said.
Jeffrey is a fierce champion of Sabah rights, particularly of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and embraces anti-national-based political parties.
However, during the last general election, Jeffrey, whose party became the kingmaker in Sabah, decided to team up with BN to form the state government, with him as a Deputy Chief Minister.
The BN-led state government, however, only survived for two days before Shafie took over after several assemblymen from Sabah Umno and Upko pledged their support to the Warisan-PH coalition.