KOTA KINABALU: Smear campaigns against Parti Warisan are intensifying, claims legal advisor Chin Teck Ming.
Condemning them as a form of hate politics with misinformation, he said the people should reject this type of politics and unite to address real issues.
He said these actions, including attacking the character and ethnicity of Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, were orchestrated and spread by unscrupulous quarters intent on damaging the party’s reputation and dividing the people.
“It is a desperate attempt to undermine Warisan’s growing support on the ground, at the same time to distract the public from real issues, at the same time,” Chin said in a statement on Wednesday (Nov 5).
“These falsehoods have been used to mislead the public and sow division among Sabahans. But the truth remains — Shafie is a true son of Sabah, and his record of fighting for Sabah speaks louder than any false claim,” he said.
He pointed to repeated attempts by cybertroopers allegedly funded by rival politicians to discredit Shafie by attacking his ethnicity and falsely linking him to undocumented immigrants from the Philippines (commonly referred to as PTI) and resorting to using derogatory slurs on him.
Chin said these accusations were baseless and malicious, pointed out that Shafie is a Bajau born and raised in Semporna.
“As former chief minister, Shafie’s record speaks for itself — advancing Sabah’s rights, improving livelihoods, and fostering racial harmony.
“We urge the public not to be misled by desperate attempts from rival political parties to character-assassinate him for political mileage,” he said.
Chin said during Shafie’s tenure as chief minister, he formed an inclusive state cabinet comprising leaders from various racial and religious backgrounds.
He also drew up policies which championed the rights of Sabahans and the welfare of other races, including introducing an extra public holiday for the Christians on Christmas Eve, among other things.
“Let us rise above lies and prejudice, to see each other not through race or religion, but as one people united in hope and purpose for Sabah’s future,” he said.
