Shafie (seated, centre), Darell (seated, left), Warisan general secretary Datuk Loretto S. Padua with other Warisan members and leaders during the press conference.
KOTA KINABALU (May 26): Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal is not quitting the party anytime soon.
During the just ended State Assembly sitting, Shafie had named Warisan vice president Datuk Darell Leiking as his successor, which could be interpreted as him going to quit the party.
Shafie explained what he actually meant was that in the event that anything unfortunate happens, his vacant president post would automatically be filled by the vice president.
“We do not know how long our lifespan is as we cannot predict the future, so we must be prepared for anything. But please pray for my wellbeing.
“I am not resigning. I will continue Warisan’s fight in ensuring the people’s wishes are not only heard but also fulfilled,” he told reporters after a Warisan supreme council meeting at their headquarters in Kolombong here on Friday.
Shafie further said that if an unfortunate situation were to occur and Darell becomes the party president, the party’s grassroots leadership should welcome him with open arms.
He said just because he is a Malay-Muslim and Darell is a KDM-Christian, it does not mean that the latter is not able to lead the party well, especially considering that Warisan is a multi-racial party.
Shafie said welcoming such a situation will ripen the political scene in the country, and Sabah’s track record shows that it does not necessarily prefer its leaders to be of a certain religion or race.
He gave an example that the state has had non-Muslim Chief Ministers before, and what is important is that the leader is Sabahan.
Meanwhile, following the supreme council meeting, Shafie had announced the appointment of several leaders to replace the vacant posts left by assemblymen that had exited the party recently.
Dr Daud Yusof (Bongawan) is now Warisan’s vice president, while Azhar Matussin (Darau) and former Tawau candidate Chen Khiet Chuin were appointed as supreme council members.
Assaffal P. Alian (Tungku) is also now the party’s acting Lahad Datu division chief, Calvin Chong (Elopura) as acting Sandakan division chief, and Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman as acting Kudat division chief.