KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal is a hypocrite by claiming Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (Sabah) is trying to destabilise politics in the state.
Political secretary to the chief minister, Ceasar Mandela Malakun, said Warisan had such an agenda since GRS-Barisan Nasional (BN) toppled it in the state election two years ago.
Malakun said Warisan did the same when it took over the Sabah government in 2018.
"Every now and again, they spread rumours that this and that assemblyman are leaving the GRS-BN coalition to form a state government with Shafie as chief minister," he said in a statement here.
Malakun was responding to Shafie's statement that GRS leaders leaving Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) was tantamount to destabilising politics in Sabah.
He said he was not surprised that Warisan had come up with another move to destabilise the government.
This time the party questioned the legitimacy of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and the Sabah government, he said.
"They are aware that their accusations, or as Shafie termed it, 'concern', do not hold water. But they are willing to go to any length, including destabilising the government, just to come out on top," he said.
Malakun said Shafie and his party had attacked leaders of GRS and BN, to turn the people against Hajiji.
"They beat their chests, proclaiming that they are the only authentically Sabah party and that they will fight for Sabah's rights.
"Then they opened branches in Malaya, but never once mentioned Sabah's rights while campaigning there.
"Warisan's narratives have always been about misinformation and manipulating facts to benefit their party and leaders. They do not care about the implications of their lies; they simply call it politics," he said.
Malakun said the GRS-BN government was stable and there was no question on the legitimacy of Hajiji as chief minister.
"GRS is a party with 30 assemblymen plus six GRS-friendly assemblymen. Our partner, Sabah BN, has 17 assemblymen while Sabah PH's 7 assemblymen have thrown their support behind Hajiji.
"If Warisan is sincere about Sabah and Sabahans, it should play its role as a responsible opposition as best it can rather than stooping to gutter politics," he said.
Recently Warisan supreme council member Azhar Matussin had denied leaving the party with six assemblymen.
"Rumours have resurfaced, and they are another malicious attempt to undermine Warisan. All assemblymen have reiterated their allegiance to the party," he said in a statement.
Azhar, who is Darau assemblyman, said he had never signed any statutory declaration (SD) to switch parties.
"This is not right. I have never signed any SD to support to another party.
"This is just a political game to confuse the people, especially at the grassroots level," he said.
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