KOTA KINABALU, July 23 — Sabah Opposition leader Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan has asked the Warisan-led state government to stop spinning stories and implicating former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman in allegations of the attempted enticement of their elected representatives to switch political allegiances.
The Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president said that Parti Warisan Sabah and DAP leaders need to “keep their egos in check” and stop accusing Opposition leaders, particularly Musa, of trying to pinch their elected representatives.
“We keep hearing far-fetched stories of so-called agents and brokers lurking in the dark, spying, harassing and offering unbelievable and mind-boggling financial inducements to Warisan-led YBs.
“Some of the Warisan and DAP elected representatives have gone as far as calling for press conferences and making statements denying they have jumped ship.
“It’s either these Warisan and DAP leaders have over-inflated egos or they are feeling insecure, unsure of the support and loyalty of their assemblymen,” he said in a statement today.
The Keningau MP and Tambunan assemblyman took a swipe at the Warisan leaders and reminded them that perhaps they were insecure because in the past, they had been the ones who had “lured and hijacked” Barisan Nasional assemblymen during GE14.
“People who are paranoid and full of suspicion are generally that way because they are the ones who employ such tactics,” he said.
Kitingan said he has heard rumours that Warisan was threatening their elected representatives by 'hiding them' to keep them from defecting, flying drones to spy on them and mounting psychological wars.
“If Warisan is so confident of the strength, support and loyalty of their elected representatives, there is no need to issue statements, mount psych wars and send drones to spy on the Opposition’s movement,” he said.
He also said that there are rumours of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal luring Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) elected representatives to switch sides to Pakatan Harapan with promised inducements to topple the PN federal government.
Last month, Shafie accused the state Opposition of harassing its elected representatives in a bid to topple the state government.
Yesterday, Sabah DAP called for a press conference claiming that most of its elected representatives had been receiving calls and other forms of harassment, including home visits by “agents” of the Opposition who offered money and posts to defect.
Kepayan assemblyman Jannie Lasimbang and Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong were among those who said strangers had approached them at home and both had lodged police reports on the incident.
Warisan leaders like Gum Gum assemblyman Arunanasib Tahir and Tanjung Kapor assemblyman Ben Chong also came out to deny rumours of their defection.
The Star reported that Musa was working with 19 fellow Opposition assemblymen from PN in the state to get at least 13 government assemblymen to cross the floor for a simple 33-seat majority in the 65-seat state assembly.
According to the report, PN sources had been claiming that 14 to 16 assemblymen had signed statutory declarations in support of Musa reclaiming the chief minister’s post.
It also said that attempts this time flopped as the PN camp has not been able to meet with Head of State Yang DiPertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin to discuss the possibility of a change in government and that the defectors got cold feet.
