PARTI Warisan Sabah president Shafie Apdal has predicted a second  “tsunami in Sabah in the next general election, except that this time, the wave of voters demanding change will not be made up of only the Chinese.

He said Barisan Nasional will face a new, multiracial force at the polls, due to Warisan, a multi-racial party.  

“There was no multiracial party to oppose Umno in Sabah before, but now voters have Warisan. Before, voters here only had PKR, a multiracial party but one that is based in peninsular Malaysia. 

“But Warisan comprises multiraces, its deputy and vice presidents are KadazanDusun Murut as well as Bajau and Chinese and I am confident this makes the difference.

“So with Pakatan Harapan having started the wave and with Warisan adding to the force, there will be a new wave in Sabah,” he said. 

The term “Chinese tsunami” was coined by Prime Minister Najib Razak at the last general election in 2013, when Barisan Nasional lost a key number of urban seats, where Chinese were the majority, to the opposition.

In a statement yesterday, Warisan asserted it was a multi-racial party, and that its concept of a “Bangsa Sabah” would unite the people of the state.

On Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman’s comment about “Sabah Tulen”, Shafie said it was clearly stated in the state enactment who were the ethnic groups in this part of the world, and Bajau was one of them. 

“How can such a statement – that I am a foreigner – come from a minister? It cannot be,” he said. 

Warisan on February 14 filed a police report against Anifah over racial slurs against Shafie, which were allegedly made on February 9 at a Chinese New Year dinner in Anifah’s constituency of Kimanis.

A counter report was lodged by Anifah’s political secretary, Jihek Basanu on February 20, with several Umno leaders stepping up to say Warisan had twisted Anifah’s words at the event.

Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah president Lajim Ukin has advised Shafie not to become trapped in a racial and religious war with Umno, following the episode. – February 24, 2018.