WARISAN president Mohd Shafie Apdal is keeping his next move under wraps following Bersatu’s decision to set up a Sabah chapter.

The chief minister kept mum when dogged by reporters at a Chinese New Year event hosted by the China Consul General Office in Kota Kinabalu last night.

He refused to answer questions on the Pakatan Harapan party led by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who yesterday announced that it will enter Sabah, despite previously promising the opposite.

“No, hurry… the time will come,” said Shafie in brief remarks.

A source said Shafie has ordered Warisan division leaders to urge party supporters to remain calm.

Warisan grassroots members from Sepanggar and Penampang told The Malaysian Insight that they are awaiting further instructions from Shafie, and that many are furious at Bersatu for going back on its word.

“The worst-case scenario… we could plan a mega rally to oppose the entry of Bersatu,” said a source on condition of anonymity.

Most of the Warisan leaders contacted by The Malaysian Insight were tight-lipped about the party’s next move, but voiced their dissatisfaction towards Dr Mahathir and Bersatu.

As feared by the Warisan grassroots, Beluran MP Ronald Kiandee, who recently quit Umno, yesterday said about 100,000 people from 25 parliamentary constituencies in Sabah have applied to join the peninsula-based Bersatu.

“We expect many more will join Bersatu when the party officially spreads its wings to the state.”

Anger in state PKR, DAP

Warisan leads the coalition Sabah government that includes the state PH, which does not include Bersatu.

State PKR and DAP leaders said they, too, are aghast at Bersatu’s decision.

DAP’s Phoong Jin Zhe called Dr Mahathir’s party a “backstabber”.

The Luyang assemblyman, who is also DAP Youth national publicity secretary, said he has called on wing chief Howard Lee to voice the party’s dissatisfaction with Bersatu at the national level.

“It’s disrespectful to Sabahans who voted for us in the 14the general election.”

Phoong said he is unhappy with the way Bersatu is making its entry into Sabah by welcoming “political frogs”.

“Even though Bersatu certainly has the right to set up branches anywhere in the country, if it absorbs opposition members in order to disrupt political stability in Sabah, it is akin to a stab in the back of its ally, Warisan, in an attempt to undermine the stability of the state coalition government. It can possibly bring Sabah into political turmoil.”

Sabah PKR’s Adam Fistival Wilfrid slammed the Bersatu decision, fearing that it may threaten the state’s political and administrative autonomy.

He questioned Bersatu’s assurances that the expansion is not aimed at challenging Shafie’s leadership.

“The reason Bersatu agreed to establish a Sabah chapter is to enable former Sabah Umno members to join,” said the state PKR communications and information chief.

“Before GE14, Sabah PKR and DAP were given full autonomy by the central leadership, including on the choice of candidates and seats to contest.

“This autonomy remains, and it also covers our role as partners in governing the state. We don’t want interference from any politicians or parties from the peninsula.

“Bersatu must respect our autonomy in the formation of the Sabah government. This applies especially to the Bersatu leadership, which has no part in the state’s governance.” – February 16, 2019.