Shafie dared to challenge Najib: Muhyiddin
Published on: Sunday, April 22, 2018
Sandakan: Former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin backed his Parti Warisan Sabah ally, Dato Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, for speaking up on the controversial 1MDB and other issues while both were in the Federal Cabinet."As far as I am concerned, (my brother) Shafie often raised this scandal, as well as other issues at Cabinet meetings," the President of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) told a large gathering at the Pakatan Harapan-organised Ceramah Perdana PRU14 at Dewan SM Yu Yuan, Saturday."I don't recall Shafie stabbing Najib (Razak) in the back as alleged by the caretaker Prime Minister, as he was one of a few daring enough to challenge Najib and he made his feelings felt in front of everyone."
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Muhyiddin said there were a lot of other scandals that besieged the nation under Najib and this drained the nation's coffers which were desperately needed elsewhere, but all those that dared criticise him paid the price.According to the Johor strongman, Felda once had billions of ringgit in accumulated reserves but today, almost everything had disappeared due to alleged misappropriation. Muhyiddin claimed that due to such scandals money meant for education and health for the people had to be diverted to pay debts or service loans. "Malaysians today can no longer get medicine freely as most types of medicine in our hospitals are always out of stock," he said.
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"There is not enough money to give our students scholarships, build more places of learning or train our teachers.All ministries have experienced cutbacks because of scandals in the Najib administration."
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Muhyiddin also endorsed Shafie as the leader to lead the opposition comprising Parti Warisan Sabah, DAP and PKR, in Sabah, and told the gathering that people in the peninsula were ready for change and oust the BN government. He said the Pakatan Harapan coalition consisting of Amanah, DAP, PKR and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia had made deep inroads into BN territory and massive crowds were coming to its ceramah.According to him, PH retaining Selangor and Pulau Pinang with a bigger majority was a foregone conclusion while Kedah, Perak, Johor, Melaka and Negri Sembilan were likely to fall this time."In Sabah, I can see a new opposition force that is led by Parti Warisan Sabah and I am very happy that DAP and PKR in Sabah have recognised this and agreed that Shafie is to lead the opposition," he added.Muhyiddin also said that a PH federal government would fully support a Warisan-led government in Sabah and policies that were good for the people would get its endorsement.Muhyddin described GE14 as the last opportunity for the people to oust Najib and change the government as the BN had resorted to desperate measures like carrying out the redelineation of constituencies in the hope of clinging to power. Touching on numerous opposition parties in Sabah, Muhyiddin said the people would by now realise that only Warisan-Pakatan Harapan was the real thing.Meanwhile, Warisan Sabah will be a prime player in the Malaysian government unlike the State Government administration where "caretaker Chief Minister, Tan Sri Musa Aman, is very much under the control of Umno."Shafie claimed that Musa is subservient to Putrajaya and dare not fight for Sabah rights so much so that crumbs are thrown in Sabah's way."Despite being in power for more than a decade, if he is allowed to remain in power, the State will go to ruin," he said, asking what he (Musa) has done in terms of creating job opportunities for the thousands of Sabahans who leave school every year.""Hundreds of thousands are now working in the Klang Valley, Johor and Penang and most are working as general labour in industries that depend on raw materials from Sabah."Our crude palm oil (CPO) as well as our oil and gas are being processed in Malaya and that's where Sabahans are being forced to go to in order to get work. "Musa should have sought investors to venture into downstream processing of our CPO as well as our oil and gas." Shafie told the gathering of more than 5,000 people that his Warisan government had a comprehensive blueprint on how to tackle issues related to planned and proper development in Sabah.He said his government would invest heavily in education as he wanted to see Sabahans gain a good education, and that with the right human capital, Sabah could progress and compete with the rest of the world.Shafie said when it came to the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 and the terms meant for Sabah were not fulfilled despite him (Musa) often saying that he only need whisper to the Prime Minister.He said BN was not serious in wanting to see the terms and conditions of MA63 being implemented as in its manifesto, all the BN could say on MA63 was that it would be resolved by consensus.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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