[ad_1]
KOTA KINABALU: Incentives to defect, reaching “billions of ringgit”, have been offered to Warisan MPs and Assemblymen to betray the party, Warisan Chairman Shafie Apdal said today.
He said he was among those to whom the offers were made.
According to Shafie, members of his party were courted almost every day by people allegedly aligned with the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, with some even offering “billions of ringgit” in exchange for leaving Warisan.
Shafie claimed that the government was using funds to buy assembly members and parliamentarians instead of dealing with the problem of nearly 700,000 unemployed people, many of whom were starving.
“Where is our country headed? The King has advised us to give priority to national and economic stability, “he said today at a press conference here.
Warisan shows pledge of allegiance by defecting assemblyman
Shafie said action will be taken against Sebatik Assemblyman Hassan A Gani Pg Amir, who resigned to declare independence.
He said Hassan had made a promise and signed a loyalty document to Warisan in front of the party’s lawyers, he said. “We will leave it up to the lawyers,” Shafie said. “We never forced him to make the promise, but he did so voluntarily like all the other Warisan candidates.”
A video of Hassan pledging his allegiance was also shown to reporters after a Warisan meeting attended by all of his MPs and assemblymen today.
In the video, dated September 10 last year, Hassan had promised to hand over his resignation as a Sebatik assemblyman to the governor of Sabah and the Sabah state assembly if he changed parties.
Hassan resigned from the party on February 25, saying he was saddened that Warisan had prioritized politics over the welfare of the people, who were struggling to cope with the pandemic.
His decision to side with GRS means that the coalition, which comprises Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional and Parti Bersatu Sabah, now has the backing of 48 of the state’s 79 assembly members.
In last year’s state elections, Hassan defeated Muis Picho of the PN by a majority of 522, obtaining 2,665 votes.
