Warisan allies pledge full support for Shafie amid ‘govt to fall’ reports
Coalition government has clear majority unlike situation in some other states, says deputy chief minister.
KOTA KINABALU: Several party leaders today reiterated their support for Chief Minister and Warisan president Shafie Apdal after claims emerged on social media that the state government will collapse soon.
Deputy chief ministers Wilfred Madius Tangau (Upko president), Christina Liew (Sabah PKR chairman) and Jaujan Sambakong (Warisan vice-president) as well as state DAP acting chief Frankie Poon and Warisan vice-president Junz Wong held a joint press conference to state their allegiance.
Tangau said certain quarters had been making up stories and posting them on social media, claiming there would be a power shift in Sabah in July.
“There are irresponsible parties trying to confuse the people and to destabilise the state government. We ask the people not to listen to such rumours.
“So, today, we are here to clear the air, to show that we are firmly behind the chief minister,” he said.
Recent reports over social media claimed that following the collapse of Pakatan Harapan state governments in the peninsula, Sabah assemblymen were also ready to switch camps.
Tangau said Warisan held more than two-thirds majority in the state assembly.
He said people should not equate Sabah with the other states that had fallen, which had a simple majority.
“We have a clear majority in the state assembly, so we are solid. The question of a collapse of the state government does not arise.
“To those irresponsible people spreading rumours, we say ‘stop’. We should be focusing on saving lives and the economy,” he said.
Tangau, who is also the Tuaran MP, said Warisan’s partners had put their faith in Shafie to continue leading the state, particularly in fighting for state rights in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
The Warisan-DAP-PKR-Upko coalition has a total of 43 assemblymen. The opposition bloc, comprising PPBM, PBS, STAR and Umno, has 17. There are also five nominated assemblymen aligned to the state.
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