Hold Bugaya by-election during GE15 – Shafie

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Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal

KOTA KINABALU (Oct 9): Parti Warisan (Warisan) president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has suggested that the Bugaya state by-election in Sabah be held together with the 15th General Election (GE15).

He said this would save costs in conducting the by-election.

“We have identified several prospective candidates, including for Batu Sapi (parliamentary seat). We are ready for the by-elections,” he told a press conference here on Sunday.

However, Shafie, who is Semporna Member of Parliament, said it was up to the Election Commission to fix the election dates to fill the vacancy in Bugaya.

The Bugaya seat fell vacant after its representative, Manis Muka Mohd Darah of Warisan, died of a kidney disease on Nov 17, 2020.

Last Thursday, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah cancelled six Covid-19 emergency ordinances and proclamations which had prevented by-elections from being held for the Batu Sapi and Gerik parliamentary seats and the Bugaya state seat.

On a recent call by a Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) youth leader for PBS and Warisan to consider working together in the coming general election, Shafie said that Warisan was open to working with local Sabah parties including PBS.

However, he said that PBS (who is a member of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), had turned it down.
“I’ve said it many times, we leave it to their (PBS) leadership,” he said, adding that Warisan was prepared to go it alone in Sabah.

PBS vice youth chief Shahrun Nidzam Sharoom recently said a cooperation between PBS and Warisan can be considered if it was advantageous to PBS in its effort to protect and demand for the rights of Sabah and for her people, in line with the foundation of its struggle through the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

He also claimed that Warisan was willing to allow PBS to decide the seats where it will be contesting.

On Budget 2023, Shafie said although it is the largest ever in the country’s history, the RM6.3 billion allocation for Sabah was insufficient, especially in terms of development expenditure.

He said rehabilitation of dilapidated schools, rural roads and basic amenities should be resolved once and for all by the government.

He added allocations for repairs of schools among others had been in the country’s annual Budget for the last few decades but seemed to remain a critical problem.

“I believe they should prioritise the schools that need to be repaired and not just assist schools in areas that were favoured by certain elected representatives,” he said.