Tuaran: Sabahans should remain vigilant against the falsehoods being spread by the opposition, particularly Warisan, as polling day on Nov 29 draws near, says a Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) leader.
Gagasan Rakyat Kiulu Deputy Chief Datuk George Teo said the opposition’s modus operandi is to fabricate lies about Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and repeat them endlessly in an attempt to make them appear believable to voters.
“No Chief Minister in Sabah’s history has faced such relentless attacks from the opposition,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The opposition wants so badly to win this election that they are willing to hurl crude insults at Hajiji to achieve their political aims. Spreading lies has become their only weapon to make people believe they are the saviours who can cleanse Sabah of its problems.”
He said Warisan had ruled for more than two years but had little to show for it, yet after five years in the political wilderness, the party now claims to have a “magic wand” capable of solving all of Sabah’s issues within a year.
“To stop the GRS-PH Government from returning to power, the opposition has resorted to fabricating lies about Hajiji and repeating them over and over again to manipulate public perception,” he said.
According to Teo, the opposition, its cyber troopers and certain self-proclaimed political analysts have made it their daily routine to spread misinformation. “They know that if they played fair, Hajiji would win again, because his leadership has achieved much since taking over from Warisan,” he said.
Teo added that Hajiji is not one to boast about his accomplishments.
“Hajiji prefers to let the people judge him. He rarely criticises others, including Warisan President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Sabah Umno Chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, even when they insult him,” he said.
“Both Shafie and Bung know that Hajiji is far ahead of them in many aspects. They have been travelling around the state making promises that sound too good to be true. The truth is, what they promise to do, Hajiji has already done or begun. Their pledges ring hollow to Sabahans.”
Teo also stressed that Hajiji does not discriminate against any community.
“Unlike some who once labelled the KDMR community as the poorest in the State or compared the Chinese to animals,” he said.
He cautioned voters to be wary of reckless leaders who make empty statements without a real vision for progress.
“Replacing Hajiji with either Shafie or Bung would be a step backward for Sabah,” said Teo.
“Another five years under Hajiji would see Sabah advance to the next level, as proven through his Sabah Maju Jaya initiative,” he added. Teo accused Warisan of habitually claiming credit for others’ achievements, citing the recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) as an example.
“When Warisan was in power, it announced UEC recognition but never followed through. When Sabah Dong Zong wrote to Hajiji about it, he immediately acted to make the recognition official. That’s the difference between a visionary leader and those who merely play to the gallery for political gain,” he said.
Teo also criticised the opposition’s cyber troopers and political commentators, saying they are paid to attack the GRS–PH government daily.
“I wonder if they ever feel uneasy being used to advance the ambitions of certain leaders. Whether you are a cyber trooper or political analyst, one should remain rational in what is posted on social media. Unfortunately, for these groups, the dirtier and more humiliating the attack, the better. Sad but true,” he said.
