KOTA KINABALU, Aug 27 — Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal reiterated today that his party will contest all 73 seats in the coming Sabah state election, ruling out alliances with other parties and stressing that the focus must remain on the people’s needs rather than political bargaining.
The Senallang assemblyman said Warisan’s decision was made unanimously by the party, not by him alone.
“The party has decided unanimously that the decision is for us to contest all 73 seats. This is not the president’s decision. And we are not going to have any alliance with any other party,” he told reporters at the party headquarters here today.
Shafie said that if parties like Berjaya and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) had managed to govern Sabah alone for 10 years as single multiracial parties, Warisan — also a multiracial and local-based party — could do the same.
“I believe the people of Sabah are already dissatisfied with GRS’ lack of performance over the last five years, including its failure to resolve water and electricity supply issues, poor road connectivity, and persistently high unemployment. We are confident Sabahans will support Warisan to replace GRS in government,” he said.
On the possibility of post-election alliances, Shafie said Warisan had once worked with national parties to form the state government in 2018 but found it difficult to implement policies due to differing views among coalition partners.
“It is best for Warisan to govern on its own. If the people really want Warisan to deliver good governance, then give us your full support and ensure our candidates win enough seats to form the government,” he said.
He said past experiences of political jumping had shown that alliances often led to instability and division, adding that many leaders were more interested in seats and ministerial positions than serving the rakyat.
Instead, he said Warisan would campaign on bread-and-butter issues that affect Sabahans daily.
“The people want water, they want electricity, they want quality of life, they want good highways. These are the needs of the people, and they are the same in every part of Sabah,” he said.
Shafie, who was chief minister from 2018 to 2020, also questioned the state government’s priorities, criticising its decision to spend over RM3 million on flashy SMJ car number plates for ministers instead of using the funds to improve basic infrastructure that would benefit more Sabahans.
On election candidates, Shafie said Warisan had already identified several potential contenders, but stressed that not all current assemblymen would automatically be renominated – decisions would depend on local dynamics and winnability.
He also pointed to Warisan’s performance in the 2020 state election, when it won 29 seats, including six won under its banner by DAP candidates, as proof of its popularity.
“If we had contested in the constituencies where Upko stood then, the results could have been different and we might have won even more seats,” he said.
Shafie also raised concerns about recent deals involving Sabah’s natural resources and land being awarded to Kuala Lumpur-based companies.
He pointed to Petronas’s recent oil and gas tender and a RM360 million tuna fishing project, which were both given to non-Sabahan firms.
“Even fishing in Sabah is handed over to a company registered in Kuala Lumpur. Are there no local companies? No state agencies? No fishermen who can do this?” he asked.
He also criticised a land concession agreement in Kota Kinabalu that grants a company 30 years of rights, with the possibility of extension.
“Our land, our fish, our oil and gas — slowly they are being taken. Sabah must wake up,” he said.
