‘Act against party hopping’

Shafie: Party hoppers would not stop jumping from one party to another.

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan will table a private Bill on anti- party hopping in the next state assembly meeting, says its president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.

He said party hoppers were not genuine leaders who would work for the people.

Instead, he said they were individuals in pursuit of positions and wealth.

“We leave it up to the people to choose whoever they want to represent them in the government,” said Shafie, adding that he had no problem being in the Opposition bench to serve as a check and balance to the Sabah government.

Warisan won 23 out of the 73 seats in the 2020 state polls but it is now left with 14 assemblymen following defections and other reasons.

Shafie said party hoppers would not stop jumping from one party to another.

“But this does not mean that Warisan had failed in the constituencies where these assemblymen left,” he told reporters during a breaking of fast programme on Saturday.

He said this when asked about the party’s internal situation following the defections and whether they were ready to face the next state polls.

Asked whether Warisan was open to working with Umno in the next state election, Shafie said the options were always open but there must be sincerity in any cooperation.

On other matters, he said issues on Sabah’s poor infrastructure must be looked into as billions of ringgit had been allocated to improve facilities for the rakyat.