SEMPORNA: The Parti Warisan Sabah-led state government will continue to work with the Pakatan Harapan federal government, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
The Warisan president said the existing cooperation with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) would continue as usual.
"We are working at the federal government level with Bersatu in Kuala Lumpur. We (Warisan) have federal ministers. We want to ensure the working relationship succeeds," he told reporters after launching the Warisan Semporna division meeting here Sunday (April 7).
Shafie was asked how the Warisan-led government was going to work with Bersatu following its launch in Sabah on Saturday (April 6).
However, Shafie did not directly refer to a working relationship with Sabah Bersatu, which has come in with nine assemblymen (eight former Umno and one former Upko) who defected from their respective parties last year.
It is no secret that Warisan and its coalition partners DAP and PKR had asked Bersatu to keep to its pre-election arrangement not to come Sabah but the party, however, decided to spread its wings.
Bersatu chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in launching the party, assured that its presence in Sabah was to provide support for the Warisan state government and was not looking to take over the state government.
Dr Mahathir had met with Shafie on his arrival in Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) on Saturday where they had a brief discussion.
Shafie subsequently left for Semporna for his party's meeting.
With the exception of Sabah PKR chairman Datuk Christina Liew, who turned up for the Sabah Bersatu launch, other leaders from DAP and Upko did not attend with DAP stating that they were in mourning over the death of its Sabah chairman Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt.
The launch was attended by opposition Sabah STAR president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and two senior leaders of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS).
Also present was independent Kimanis MP Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.
Most political observers are expecting more political shadow play between the once political arch-rivals from Umno, who have now come under the umbrella of Pakatan and friends.
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