KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP is behind Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal as the head of the state government leadership, and will support whatever decision made regarding Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) spreading its wings to Sabah.
Sabah DAP chairman Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt said his party believed that Mohd Shafie, who is also Parti Warisan Sabah president (Warisan), had the capability to handle the issue well.
“We know he (Mohd Shafie) is capable of handling this issue and we will certainly be behind him in whatever decision he makes (on Bersatu’s entry into Sabah),” he said.
Wong, who is also Sabah’s Health and Wellbeing Minister, said this when met by reporters after attending the Chinese New Year Open House organised by Kota Kinabalu DAP here yesterday.
Also present at the open house were DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, Sabah DAP secretary Chan Foong Hin and Sabah DAP Women chief Jannie Lasimbang. Wong was asked to comment on the announcement of Bersatu chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Bersatu’s agreement to set up branches in Sabah.
On Friday, Dr Mahathir said the decision was made after members of Sabah Umno quit the party but did not want to join Warisan, which is the ally of Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Commenting further, Wong said that Bersatu’s entry into Sabah was seen to have an impact on PH, but DAP realised that Bersatu’s decision to set up branches in the state could not be stopped as it was their right to do so.
However, he said Sabah DAP did not agree with Bersatu’s actions in accepting former Umno leaders to join the party, and for now, he was not able to visualise how DAP and Bersatu could cooperate as components of PH in Sabah.
Meanwhile, Lim, when met by reporters, did not want to elaborate on the matter before hearing a statement from Mohd Shafie.
Earlier, 200 members of Umno and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) from the Matunggong branch handed membership forms to join Sabah DAP to Lim and Wong. — Bernama