SABAH’S majority party Warisan has denied allegations that it has been “pinching” opposition reps to defect to consolidate its position.

Party secretary-general Loretto Padua said Warisan has a strict evaluation process for anyone applying to join.

“The process is never easy, and consumes a lot of time and a lot of documents. I do not take my job lightly,” he said in a statement today, responding to Parti Bersatu Sabah president Maximus Ongkili’s allegation that Warisan had lured his Labuk elected rep Abdul Rahman Kongkawang, as well as other members, into switching allegiance.

Rahman was the second PBS rep to join Warisan after Tandek assemblyman Anita Baranting.

He said it was Rahman who had approached Warisan during the Sandakan by-election in May, wanting to join the party.

“Rahman actually approached us during the Sandakan by-election. Even then, we never said yes immediately.

“So, when Ongkili says we pinch his reps, that is a total lie. If we did pinch Rahman, we could have announced it then, but we didn’t.”

“Rahman had explained explicitly that he wished to continue the process of development in Labuk area, but as an opposition member he wasn’t able to do so,” Lorreto said.

Towards this end, Lorreto said Ongkili should blame himself for failing to keep his members and assemblymen in the party, alluding to signs of weak leadership on Ongkili’s part. – September 28, 2019.