Warisan and Pakatan seal pact

Presidential speech: Shafie addressing party members for the first time during the congress in Kota Kinabalu.

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah and Pakatan Harapan have formalised a pact to take on Sabah Barisan Nasional in the general election.

“It’s a done deal,” Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal told reporters after delivering his maiden presidential keynote address at the party’s congress here yesterday.

However, Shafie declined to disclose the exact seat sharing formula worked out with national opposition parties PKR, DAP and Parti Amanah Negara, which gives Warisan the larger share of the 60 state and 25 parliamentary seats in Sabah.

Shafie also confirmed that the native-based Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) led by Datuk Wilfred Bumburing is no longer in the electoral pact.

“As you are aware, Sabah Pakatan has agreed that I would lead the opposition coalition in the state,” he said.

The pact will see three major opposition fronts taking on the state Barisan Nasional government led by Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman.

The other major opposition is the four-party coalition of Gabungan Sabah, whose lea­ders include Bingkor assemblyman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Klias assemblyman Datuk Lajim Ukin and former chief minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee.

Bumburing, who left Gabungan to forge a pact with Warisan last year, pulled out of talks with Warisan and has now formalised a non-Muslim native-based pact with Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri led by Datuk Henrynus Amin.

“Warisan is not contesting in the peninsula but is ready to work without a pact at the national level.

“We are a multiracial party.

“We don’t want to follow the Pakatan coalition style in Peninsular Malaysia,” Shafie said.

“When they form the government in Putrajaya, we will have ministers in the Federal Cabinet from Warisan and the Warisan government (in Sabah) will also have ministers from Pakatan.”

Speaking to more then 5,000 party members at the assembly with the theme “In God We Trust, Change We Must”, Shafie urged them to work diligently and be fully prepared for the elections.

He said those not selected as candidates should accept the decision and work to ensure victory for those who were picked.