Shafie
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah can win the Kimanis parliamentary seat if the Election Commission (SPR) called for a by-election, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
“We will see how it is. The process is yet to be (finalized). They can still appeal but judgement has been made by the court,” said Shafie, who is also Warisan president, after the launching the two-day Sabah IT (Information Technology) Symposium at the Sabah State Administrative Centre (PPNS) Building here yesterday.
“So, I don’t want to say anything until it is conclusive and announcement has been made by SPR,” he said when asked about the Kota Kinabalu Election Court declaration that former Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman’s victory for the seat during the 14th General Election was null and void.
Judge Lee Heng Cheong found that the SPR had not conducted the election in accordance to election rules, according to Anifah’s lawyer Ansari Abdullah.
“We will get ourselves (ready). Of course, we are for whatever the consequence. Candidate? We’ll decide when the time comes,” the Chief Minister said.
“We will have to work harder. We cannot be too confident. We cannot be too complacent. We have to reach them (the people) out, I am quite sure, I think … Well, if we work harder, I think we can realize a win,” he said.
“We have yet to decide who are the candidates. We have to list out potentials here and there. Of course, he (Datuk Karim Bujang) was one of our candidates before. We will see when the time comes,” Shafie reiterated when asked whether Karim would be listed amongst the Warisan’s potential candidates if a by-election were to be held for Kimanis.
During the last general election in 2018, Anifah won the seat with 11,942 votes and slim majority of 156 over Karim’s 11,786 votes.
Anifah announced his resignation from Umno on September 19, 2018 in keeping with his pledge to quit the party if he could no longer continue to champion the cause of the people in Sabah through the party and Barisan Nasional (BN).
He said that without Umno and BN in power, his struggle to restore the rights of Sabahans contained in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) would be fruitless.
Meanwhile, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan stated on August 17 that the former ruling party is ready to recapture Kimanis if a by-election is called.