PARTI Warisan Sabah president Shafie Apdal insisted on a doctor because he did not want to “die in the lockup” without clearing his name, his lawyer Loretto Padua Jr said.

“He was genuinely sick and he wants the people to know what he was not faking to avoid detention and questioning by the MACC.

“He told me that he wants to go through the investigation process but he needed to get better first, so that he can better cooperate with the investigators,”  Padua, who is also Parti Warisan Sabah secretary-general told a crowd of about 100 people at a candlelight vigil at the Federal Administrative Complex in Kota Kinabalu last night.

He said Shafie’s blood pressure was still unstable, but he is adamant that he wants to go through the process, adding that he was determined to assist the MACC in the investigations.

“Shafie insisted that this is a process we have to respect,” he said.

Padua said Shafie’s blood pressure was checked thrice, reading 198/120 at its highest, which was why Shafie had asked to see a doctor.

It was the doctors who insisted that the Warisan president be warded as he was in danger of suffering a heart attack or a stroke.

He said Shafie had explained to him last night that he did not want to die in the lockup before he could clear his name and that was why he insisted on seeing a doctor.

Padua is among the five lawyers representing Shafie and he was the last person to see him at the Sabah MACC headquarters lockup last night where the Warisan president is being held.

He urged those at the vigil to keep their spirits up and continue the Warisan struggle.

Shafie was arrested on Thursday night after being questioned for about three hours by the MACC. He was then warded at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital II after his blood pressure spiked.

The Semporna MP is now serving a four-day remand order which ends tomorrow.

Shafie is under investigation for alleged embezzlement of RM1.5 billion of federal funds meant for projects in rural Sabah back when he was the former rural and regional development minister.

Besides Shafie and his two brothers, Hamid and Yusof, others implicated in the case include Warisan deputy president Peter Anthony, youth chief Mohd Azis Jamman, Umno Tenom Youth chief Jamawi Jaafar, Umno Tawau Youth chief Ariffin Kassim and a 52-year-old Sabah businessman.

Penampang resident Michael Roberts, 42, who was at the vigil, said he hoped MACC officers would conduct the investigation fairly and treat Shafie with dignity as he was a senior citizen.

We are doing this (candlelight vigil) because we want Shafie to remain in high spirits,” he said. 

Amid Hussein, 58, said the detention was unfair for a man who had always gone out of his way to help the people. 

“I am here for Shafie. I lived in the Tanjung Aru water village before I moved to Sepanggar. 

“I remember Shafie came to Tanjung Aru when I still had a home there. He came and provided funds to buy planks and other materials to repair two dilapidated bridges going into our water village,” said Amid.

He felt there was no need for the MACC to detain Shafie and treat him like criminal.

“I know the man. He has already said he won’t run away. Shafie always keeps his word.”

Also present at the vigil were Warisan vice-president Junz Wong, Warisan Wanita chief Munirah Majilis and Youth leader Azis Jamman.