KOTA KINABALU, Oct 14 ― In his first public address since losing the state election last month, Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal issued a message to supporters expressing his hopes and ambitions for the party to return to power.
Talking in a two-minute video, the former chief minister thanked Sabahans for coming out to vote but said that the fight was not over and that he will continue with the struggle to strengthen the party and the state.
“It has been an inspiration and motivation for us and the party to boost our efforts and spirit and for our hard work to go on with our aspiration of returning as your government in the future,” he said.
“This is definitely not the end of our movement. We’ll continue this fight and we’ll boost our effort to make sure we are united to strengthen our struggle,” he said.
Shafie, who led the Warisan Plus coalition in the snap poll last month, said that the coalition will continue to fight for the rights of Sabahans and Sabah despite obstacles.
“I hope your confidence in us will remain as we continue this fight for the sake of Sabahans. This is definitely not the end of our movement,” he said.
In the video posted on his official Facebook page and shared on social media, Shafie said that being chief minister for Sabah was his greatest honour and that he was the better for the experience.
“Pain is temporary but my conviction to inculcate values and to fight for a better nation will never stop,” he said.
Shafie, who is Senallang assemblyman and Semporna MP, has not made any public appearances aside from attending the wake of the late Datuk Liew Vui Keong to express condolences to the latter’s family.
Shafie’s Warisan Plus coalition that includes Sabah PKR, Sabah DAP, Sabah Amanah and Upko, won 32 state seats in the election last month, and lost out to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah that won 38. Three independent candidates also won.
Shafie called the premature election to fend off an attempt by his predecessor, Tan Sri Musa Aman, to seize control of the state government through defections.
The election has been identified as a major cause of Malaysia’s third and exponential wave of Covid-19 infections.
The state has since been put under a conditional movement control order due to a sharp rise of Covid-19 cases, as have Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur.
