KOTA KINABALU: The question of Parti Warisan joining the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition does not arise, says GRS secretary-general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
He said that there have been no official requests for talks and added that it was clear Warisan was more interested in enticing GRS's Parti Bersatu Sabah or Sabah STAR
Masidi then said that Warisan joining GRS is a non-issue.
He was commenting on Warisan’s stance that it is only interested in forging a pact with PBS and Sabah STAR and does not wish to engage with Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat), the anchor party of GRS.
In the past two days, senior Warisan leaders have stated they are not keen to work with GRS, as Gagasan Rakyat assemblymen have been implicated in a corruption scandal.
Asked about his view on this, Masidi - who is also the state Finance Minister - said leaders from GRS have answered the question and added that he thinks it should suffice.
He said whichever party Warisan is interested in forming pacts with is their choice, but as far as he knows, PBS and Sabah STAR do not seem interested.
"If both sides are not interested, then there is nothing to talk about," he said.
Addressing the issue of the corruption scandal in which he was also implicated, Masidi said he has personally moved on and trusts the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to do a fair job.
He volunteered to give his statement to the MACC without waiting to be called and is willing to provide any follow-up statement if necessary.
So far, there has been no further request from the MACC for a second statement, said Masidi.
He said issues like these occasionally arise but should not deter anyone from doing their job.
"Let the MACC carry out their investigations, and I am sure they will do it fairly. Once again, if there is any more needed from me, I am more than happy to give my statement," he stressed.
Masidi was among the eight GRS leaders accused of receiving bribes related to the mining prospecting scandal.
Earlier, MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said it was challenging to proceed with the case as the informer refused to surrender the videos to the MACC for investigation.
Instead, the person insisted on being granted whistleblower status, but under Section 11(1) of the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, enforcement agencies can revoke the whistleblower's protection if it is found that the whistleblower is also involved in the misconduct disclosed.
He said a person cannot disclose information on corruption offences to the public and then apply for whistleblower protection, as their actions may have revealed their identity and information before its validity is determined.
He said it was unreasonable to expect enforcement to guarantee protection to this person before they make a report or file a complaint at the enforcement agency, and a person involved in the offence they disclosed is not eligible to apply for whistleblower protection.
