Kota Kinabalu: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) needs to admit that among the reasons Warisan State Assembly members left are bribes and pressure from the ruling party.
Its Secretary General Datuk Loretto J. Padua said perhaps these assemblymen think only by joining the ruling party they would be able to help the people in their areas.
“We are still wondering if the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) ever opened an investigation paper into the statement of former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Hamid Bador who once said that politicians came to Sabah (to buy handicrafts) and after that, there were assemblymen who jumped.
“Has the MACC ever investigated this matter?....Is the Government aware of this matter when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has also been a victim as a result of assemblymen and their MPs jumping at that point,” he said in a statement, Saturday.
Loretto was responding to Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Information Chief Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan, who described the “buying” allegation by Warisan President Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, recently, as a slander.
He said the statement by Shafie in Parliament was to request the authorities, including MACC, to immediately investigate the actions of Warisan assemblymen who left the party.
“This is because one of the assemblymen who jumped had previously recorded a video saying he had been offered money and position to leave Warisan, but chose to go with Warisan.
“The rakyat are smart....We want to ask if these assemblymen will leave if Warisan is part of the ruling party,” he said.
“For the record, Shafie never left his original party just because the party was no longer in power or became the government.
“Shafie left his original party which was also the ruling party at the time and faced the ruling party in the last General Election (GE14),” he said.
Loretto also asked GRS how many politicians are willing to leave their original party and fight the ruling party.
“Perhaps it is not an exaggeration to say that in Sabah only Tan Sri Pairin and Datuk Seri Shafie are the only ones in the State.
“Anwar Ibrahim did the same thing 25 years ago...However, there are also other leaders who are brave and fight hard for the interests of the State of Sabah,” he said.
