PETALING JAYA: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) deputy secretary-general Armizan Mohd Ali has fired another volley against Warisan for portraying GRS “as a party of defectors, a nest for people who jump parties”.
In a video posted last night, he said Warisan should first look back at its own past history in accepting defectors from other parties before accusing others.
He said Warisan had not won democratically but by accepting lawmakers from other parties.
“The question is: how innocent are the people making these claims and their parties regarding the party-hopping issue?
“The most tragic aspect is that the defection of elected representatives can bring down an existing government without an election, as happened in 2018.”
Armizan said at that time, the incumbent chief minister had not resigned, yet a new chief minister was appointed when Warisan accepted lawmakers who had jumped ship.
He said Warisan president Shafie Apdal had then proclaimed that his government had no plans to introduce anti-party-hopping laws, adding that it had other priorities.
However, when defections happened in Warisan in 2023, Shafie changed his stand and asked for anti-party hopping laws to be legislated “as soon as possible”.
Replaying excerpts from Shafie’s speeches, he said this showed the Warisan president was quick to change direction, depending on the circumstances.
Armizan said it was GRS chairman Hajiji Noor who should be credited with amending the state constitution in 2023 to prevent lawmakers jumping parties.
“In 2025, what new tactics will be used to regain power? Will Warisan try to persuade lawmakers from other parties to support their president as chief minister?”
Warisan has announced it will contest all 73 seats in the Nov 29 polls, without cooperating with other parties.
Armizan, who is Papar MP and domestic trade and cost of living minister, said GRS had many experienced leaders and was determined to take Sabah to higher heights.
He urged voters to vote wisely.
