He attributed this to the corruption of the state’s ruling government and urged Sabahans to be brave enough to change the leadership.

“Nothing is impossible in politics if the people are united. The Sabah people determine the Sabah government,” he said in a speech at Membakut, Sabah, today made in conjunction with the announcement of his plans for a new party. He did not give a name for the party, which has yet to be registered.

“This state is rich, but the people are poor. We have the biggest oil palm plantations in Malaysia, good tourism. But it is the country that gets rich, the rakyat remains poor and leaders become millionaires. It is not impossible for us to topple Barisan Nasional (BN) in Sabah. Don’t tell me we can’t do it.”

He also reminded Sabahans that the state did not need BN to prosper and cited Kelantan, Penang and Selangor, states led by federal opposition parties, that have managed to survive without BN.

“Will we die without Umno? People in Kelantan have not killed themselves just because Umno is not ruling there. The Pakatan government has been in power for nearly 10 years in Selangor but I have not heard of the Malays or the Chinese dying. Penang has been under DAP’s rule and yet they prosper.”

Shafie had also said this when officiating the Irau Rakyat ceremony in Tenom, Sabah yesterday, according to Malaysiakini.

The report said he had asked for patience when asked if he had told former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin of his decision to form a party in Sabah.

“Give me a bit more time. They know I will form a party in Sabah and I’ve explained my rationale when I rejected their offer to be vice-president in their party. It is important to bring change to this state,” he told reporters.