Datuk Azis jamman
KOTA KINABALU (Dec 3): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s choice for the Cabinet should be respected and not evoke any more disappointment as Sabahans were given the power to vote, said Parti Warisan Sabah information chief Datuk Azis Jamman.
According to the former Sepanggar member of parliament, the people have voted according to who they believe can help Sabah, and it is proven that they have more faith in the centralized parties in the Peninsular compared to Sabah-based parties in fighting for the rights of the State.
He said the people’s choice should be respected and everyone should instead focus on alleviating the burden faced by the people stemming from the country’s economic state, especially considering the rising costs of living that seem to be increasing each day.
“I have noticed the disappointment voiced out over Sabah’s representation in the Cabinet, including from Warisan supporters who expressed dismay that we had no representation despite being consistent and never giving Statutory Declarations (SD) to any other candidates since after the Sheraton move.
“Previously, when a choice was to be made between Anwar and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (for the post of Prime Minister), Warisan was tempted with various positions and rewards. However, we stuck to our principles and gave the SD to Anwar as we did not want to betray the mandate of the people. We even sat in the parliament as the opposition.
“Even after the 15th General Election (GE15) when no party had garnered 111 seats, Warisan was one of the first to give Anwar the SD. Now, the party received zero Cabinet posts unlike the other parties who had only started showing their support to Anwar after he was sworn in as Prime Minister.
“We want to prove to the people of Malaysia and Sabah especially that Warisan is not a party that aims for posts but instead is based on the principle of fighting for Sabah’s rights. We hope that the Prime Minister can fulfill his promises regarding Sabah’s claims in the context of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he said in a statement on Saturday.
Azis added that Anwar should be given time to revise the history of MA63 and implement what has been agreed on by Sabah’s fathers of independence, but the process should not take too long as it is an international agreement that is legally valid.
He also hoped that Warisan supporters would be patient as they attempt to figure out their weaknesses and mistakes to ensure that the party continues to stay relevant here and regain the people’s trust.
“We need to accept with an open heart that we have lost. The people have spoken with their votes. Warisan is a young party that can have a much brighter future if the grassroots leaders can fix its weaknesses.
“Now we are part of the Federal government albeit with a much smaller number than before. However, we should not get discouraged as even other parties such as the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) have not shown that good of a performance in the previous elections,” he said.
Azis also said the results of the 15th General Election (GE15) is a manifestation that Sabahans still do not have the confidence to stand on their own two feet, unlike Sarawak which has more faith in the ability of their local parties to fight for their future.
“Maybe we need more time to convince Sabahans that we can also be like Sarawak,” he added.