PARTI Warisan Sabah president Mohd Shafie Apdal is just trying to gain political mileage by calling Barisan Nasional’s Christian leaders “hypocrites”, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Joseph Kurup.

He said Shafie was exploiting the issue for his own political benefit. However, he had no comment when asked about Umno’s cooperation with PAS.

Kurup said the question should be directed at the ruling party.

“It’s not proper for me to comment on that.”

Nevertheless, he slammed Shafie over the latter’s comments yesterday.

“How does he (Shafie) know that we are not doing anything for the Christian community?” he told The Malaysian Insight.

“We are not here to seek political mileage. He is using this issue for his own political benefit.

“If there are any issues with the Christian community, we will raise it up with the federal government.”

Yesterday, Shafie said BN’s Christian leaders had failed the community as they did not reject cooperation with PAS, which advocated an extreme version of Islam.

Kurup said the 10-point solution issued prior to the Sarawak state election in 2011 stated that the government must hold discussions with Christian leaders so as to resolve issues amicably.

“We met the prime minister (Najib Razak) recently regarding the issue of the importation of the Bible with the word ‘Allah’.

“Such issues are sensitive, but we don’t want to get political mileage out of it, unlike Shafie.

“This shows that he is the bigger hypocrite.”

Parti Bersatu Sabah’s (PBS) Kiulu assemblyman, Joniston Bangkuai, said it was surprising that Shafie, who had been a federal minister for so long, was talking about such matters now.

“What is it, then, if he is not trying to gain political mileage?”

Shafie had named Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah president Kurup, PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) acting president Wilfred Madius Tangau and Upko president Bernard Dompok as leaders who portrayed themselves as Christian heroes only in their respective areas.

Shafie had asked why Kurup, Dompok and Pairin had not said anything to Umno in Parliament and in the BN Supreme Council.

“They are not saying anything (there), but in Sabah, they are saying things to show they are championing the religion.

“In BN, there should be a spirit of consensus among members. Even if one member rejects something, there should be no talks. But, Umno is now working with PAS.” – November 20, 2017.