MEMBAKUT: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) is confident that the Sabah Temporary Pass (PSS) issue will not affect its chances in the Kimanis by-election.
Its vice-president, Datuk Peter Anthony (pic), said the majority of voters in Kimanis, especially the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) community understood the reasons behind the state government’s proposal to issue the document, and would not be easily manipulated.
“They know well the rationale behind the proposal, and have no problems accepting it,” the Kadazandusun Malaysia Association president said at the Christmas and New Year celebration here.
“It is the best solution to the problem of illegal immigrants.
“But, let the Immigration Department and Home Ministry deal with it.”
He added that the PSS was still at the proposal stage and there might be changes later.
The PSS is a document the ruling PH federal government plans to issue to 136,055 migrants who hold the IMM13, Surat burung-Burung and the Census Slip in an effort to resolve the migrant issue in Sabah.
The KDM community, which constitutes about half of the 29,664 voters in the constituency, will play a significant role in determining the next Kimanis member of parliament.
Earlier in his speech, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation president Datuk Seri Dr Wilfred Madius Tangau said the one thing that the local community should worry about was not PSS, but the Umno/Pas collaboration.
“These peninsula-based parties might pose a threat to the current ways of living among the community in Sabah.
“We can no longer take for granted the freedom of celebrating Christmas publicly and be able to greet each other without any issues,” he said, reminding the constituents that more than 1,000 Pas members would be in Sabah to lend support to Umno candidate Datuk Mohamad Alamin.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister and Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said the people should stop supporting a peninsula-based party that aspires to become the “master” of Sabahans.
“They have been telling us what to do or otherwise. Enough is enough.
“Let a local-based party fight for the people of Sabah.”
