Shafie
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government has never set any rule to prevent individuals, including Special Branch (SB) personnel, from attending Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) and state government functions and press conferences.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said anyone is allowed to attend public press conferences held by him and other members of the state cabinet.
Shafie, who is also Warisan president, said he had brought up the matter at a cabinet meeting and found that no decision to the effect was ever made.
“If there ever was such a ‘decision’, then it is fake as it did not come from me or the state government.
“SB can come any time to hear what we say; no reason for us to stop them because our statements will be reported by the media anyway and will appear in the newspapers for the public to read,” he stressed.
after visiting the Ramadan bazaar at Lintasan Deasoka here yesterday and distributing bubur lambuk to the public.
The office of Chief Minister had earlier said the government has never issued any directive barring Special Branch officers from attending public events involving the chief minister.
It accused a blogger of trying to pit Warisan against the Special Branch after spreading rumours that the state government had barred its personnel from attending public events.
Warisan vice-president Datuk Junz Wong said that Special Branch personnel should identify themselves at the party’s press conferences and not pretend to be reporters.
A Special Branch officer claimed that he and his colleagues had been barred numerous times from Warisan press conferences, including events attended by Shafie.
Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador yesterday said the police will continue with their duties and do not want to make an issue with Warisan’s request that Special Branch personnel identify themselves when attending events organised by the party.