A Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) leader has challenged Warisan president Shafie Apdal to sever all ties with the federal government if he truly opposes the influence of peninsula-based parties in Sabah.
PGRS Kunak chief Norazlinah Arif’s remarks came after Shafie had last Saturday criticised the alliance between Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) at the upcoming state election.
Shafie was reported to have said that GRS had kowtowed to PH and called on voters to reject peninsula-based parties.
However, on Wednesday Senallang assemblyman Shafie was quoted as saying that Warisan would continue to maintain friendly ties with the federal government if it forms the next state administration.
Norazlinah, the Kunak assemblyman, said Shafie’s remarks contradicted his own political record which saw Warisan officially align with PH after the 14th general election and become part of the federal government.
“Has he forgotten that Warisan is still part of the current Madani government, which also includes peninsula-based parties?
“If he is serious about rejecting KL-based parties, then I challenge him to withdraw all cooperation and support for the current federal leadership,” she told FMT.
She said if Shafie failed to do so, it would show that his remarks were nothing more than “unprincipled political rhetoric” designed to inflame public sentiment ahead of the state polls.
Norazlinah also reminded Shafie of a viral campaign video in which he claimed to have backed three leading peninsula politicians — Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Najib Razak and Anwar Ibrahim — all of whom came from the very “Malayan parties” he now condemns.
In the video, Shafie claimed he helped Mahathir become prime minister twice — first during his time in Umno, and again in 2018, after Warisan was founded.
Shafie also admitted to having played a role in Anwar‘s release from prison that same year and in Najib’s rise to the premiership nine years earlier.
According to Norazlinah, GRS’s cooperation with the unity government is driven by the people’s interests and the need for stability, not subservience to any party.
“This cooperation is premised on pragmatism, ensuring Sabah continues to receive development and investment support from the federal government.
“As leaders, we must speak with facts and honesty about our own history,” she said, adding that Sabahans are discerning enough to tell the difference between those genuinely committed to the state’s progress and others who make lofty speeches but fail to deliver on their promises.
