PARTI Warisan Sabah today hinted that more opposition lawmakers will join the party as former Barisan Nasional leaders attempt to reunite under the new Gabungan Bersatu Sabah coalition. 

Party secretary-general Loretto Padua said it was in talks with a party leader from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) who had expressed his intention to join the ruling party. 

“So far, I have just met him, and he seems positive (about joining Warisan),” he told The Malaysian Insight. 

Notably, opposition figures were also seen at the recent launch of GBS in Kota Kinabalu earlier this week.

“I saw him at the GBS launch in photos in the papers,” Padua said. 

Warisan, at a council meeting on August 5, said it would welcome any leaders from opposition parties, on the condition that they do not ask for party positions in the first two years of being a member. 

Padua, however, said the party did not object to any of its new members holding appointments given by the state government. 

Padua and Warisan treasurer Terrence Siambun had been tasked with travelling across the state to promote party memberships.

It’s deputy president, Darell Leiking, also said that more members were expected to join the ruling party, adding that the old BN practice of “divide and conquer” no longer had a place in Sabah. 

“Those who have joined us know that these (BN-aligned) parties tried to use and religion and race to divide Sabahans. 

“Despite attack after attack on these issues, Warisan will only come out stronger and the people have come to realise this that race-based or religion-based politics no longer have a place in Sabah,” he said. 

Leiking said this after accepting the membership of some 40 former PBS members from Tanjung Aru at the party’s headquarters in Kolombong, Kota Kinabalu, today. 

On whether these crossovers were occurring because of the ongoing court case over the chief minister’s post, Leiking played down the possibility. 

“We have had crossovers before, so that doesn’t mean the ongoing chief minister suit‎ is the reason why. 

“I think the people know the party has already won in the recent polls, along with its electoral partners in Pakatan Harapan, as well as United Pasok Momogun KadazanDusun Murut Organisation (Upko),” he said. 

PBS won six state assembly seats in GE14 – Julita mojingki (Matunggong), Anita baranting (Tandek) Jahid Jahim (Tamparuli), Joniston Bangkuai (Kiulu), Joachim Gunsalam (Kundasang) Abdul Rahman Kongkawang (Labuk) – and one federal seat via deputy president Maximus Ongkili (Kota Marudu). 

Although the two Warisan leaders ‎did not disclose which PBS leader was jumping ship, their statements have come at a point where Upko had raised its displeasure with the lack of its members being appointed into office. 

Talk had also surfaced that the party was playing politics due to the uncertainty lingering over the chief minister case. 

Former chief minister has filed a suit against the current leader Shafie Apdal over his appointment as Sabah chief minister.

The court is expected to make its decision on November 7. 

Padua, meanwhile, said they had invited Ongkili and the Julita Mojingki assemblyman to the next chief minister’s gathering with the people. 

The Hari Bertemu Rakyat event had previously been held in Semporna and Keningau.

Opposition leaders, including PBS, had alleged that Warisan used the programme to hand out MyKads‎ to illegal immigrants, which the party has denied. 

“We want them to come to the event and see for themselves whether what they have been claiming is true or not,” said Padua. – October 28, 2018.