Kota Kinabalu: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) President Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal
(pic) says the opposition will fail at the next general election if the same old leadership remains at the helm.
He said there was a need for change in the leadership across the board, adding that the crop of leaders was disunited and had no direction.
“We were able to win the last elections, and then we lost power. Why? (Because of the) infighting within. We tried to unite the people but it didn’t go anywhere because there is no clear direction from the leaders,” he said after the party’s annual general meeting here, Saturday.
“So this is why unity is very important, not just uniting the leaders but Malaysians at large. This is the most crucial part.
“I don’t want to single out any one person but the time has come for changes in the opposition leadership, something which many of the component parties have also expressed previously.”
Earlier this month, Warisan whip Datuk Rozman Isli, who is also Labuan MP, had called for a new parliamentary opposition leader to be appointed so that the bloc would be stronger.
Rozman said there is dissatisfaction among opposition members with the leadership and direction of the opposition bloc led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Shafie, who is Semporna MP, said the opposition “must be brave enough” to bring about the change in order to reflect the true aspirations of Malaysians.
He said the people voted in the opposition in GE14 due to matters close to their hearts such as 1MDB, corruption and the GST (goods and service tax).
But now, the opposition seems to be not united, with DAP even helping to topple the Perak state government (led by PPBM), recently.
“There are a lot we need to explain to the people in preparation for GE15. We need new injections of ideas because the people are facing many problems.
“We need to provide those needs and requirements for the people in order for them to decide the government of the day.
“There a lot of things that is weakening us…the direction and many more like when we go to the ground, we go individually and not as a group.
“It’s not a question who gets the SD (statutory declarations), that’s not important, but it is a question of what we can do for the people,” Shafie said.
