SANDAKAN: Warisan has denied claims that it placed politics above disaster relief during the recent floods and landslides in Sabah, insisting the party was among the first to deliver aid on the ground.
Its president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said Warisan had distributed food and water in affected areas such as Moyog, Papar, Kimanis, Beaufort and Sepanggar while also continuing political programmes in areas not hit by the disaster.
“I was among the first to go down to Moyog early in the morning with lorries of water and cooked food for the villagers.
“In Papar, I even asked for a crane to help retrieve the body of a mother and child trapped in their home,” he said.
He said this during a “Meet the People” programme for the Sungai Sibuga seat at Sungai Obar, Mile 7 here, on Saturday (Sept 21) night.
Shafie was responding to a media statement issued by Sabah PKR on Sept 20, which expressed regret that Warisan leaders chose to hold political programmes while government agencies and volunteers were focused on disaster relief.
PKR said such actions placed “narrow political interests” above the welfare of flood victims.
The former chief minister said political meetings could not be indefinitely postponed as annual general meetings were part of party regulations.
“We gave notice months in advance. For constituencies hit by floods, we postponed. For areas unaffected, we continued.
“We must be smart in doing things – helping victims while also carrying out our responsibilities as a political organisation,” he explained.
He stressed that the responsibility to fully address disasters lay with the government, which had the resources, machinery and allocations to respond.
“We are not denying our role. We gave what we could, including financial assistance to families of those who died.
“But don’t blame everything on Warisan whenever a disaster occurs,” he said, citing his previous efforts during Covid-19 where Warisan channelled RM1mil each to the police, the Health Ministry and the Education Ministry for frontline needs.
Shafie also urged preparedness for recurring disasters.
“Floods, fires, pandemics — we know the risks months ahead. There must be equipment and funds ready for emergencies. Our intention is always to help,” he said.
