One more Warisan rep leaves to back Hajiji

KOTA KINABALU:The exodus of elected representatives out of Parti Warisan continues on Saturday (March 4) as its Karamunting assemblyman George Hiew (pic) has announced that he is quitting the party.

In a statement written in Chinese, Hiew said that he is joining Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

He said that the people want stability for development and an end to political uncertainty in the state.

“It is important for all of us to unite to bring development to Sabah for the betterment of the people. This is why I’ve decided to leave Warisan," said Hiew.

“Now we can focus on developing Sabah, uniting the people and implementing the MA63 towards creating a prosperous and progressive Sabah,” he added.

Hiew - a two-term assemblyman since 2018 - thanked Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal for giving him the opportunity to defend the seat in the Sept 2020 Sabah snap state election.

He is the eleventh Warisan assemblyman to leave the party in the last two years. He is also the fifth to leave Warisan this year.

With his departure, Warisan now only has 14 assemblymen in the 79-member state assembly.

And with Hiew joining Gagasan Rakyat, Hajiji continues to strengthen the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition as the ruling government as well as himself as the state’s top leader.

GRS comprises Gagasan Rakyat, of which Hajiji is the president, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Sabah STAR, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and the United Sabah National Organisation (Usno).