KOTA KINABALU, Oct 3 — In the continuing war of words between Parti Warisan and Sabah DAP, the former has shot back saying that it was DAP who “backstabbed: it by trying to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government after the September 2020 snap polls.

Warisan secretary-general Datuk Loretto Padua Jr said that its president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal had made DAP a part of the State Cabinet, but the latter had immediately turned around and was prepared to work with the coalition who had attempted to topple Warisan Plus government in the first place.

“So where is the integrity and credibility that they are talking about and who is the real Trojan Horse here?” he asked.

He said that Warisan wanted to ensure its integrity was intact which is why it opted out of the ceasefire MoU, unlike PH leaders like PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Guan Eng who “turned their backs on democracy and their supporters” by working with Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri’s government.

“Although they said it was to ensure political stability, reformation and helping the people affected by Covid 19, we told them repeatedly that the MoU was unnecessary because an opposition block could do the job perfectly,” said Padua.

He also said that Shafie had intentionally stayed away from the controversies of the Sheraton Move, and did not move to support then prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, even though he was being persuaded with the promise of prominent positions.

Padua said that most Sabahans were aware that Warisan is the main threat not just for Umno and BN, but also for Bersatu/Perikatan Nasional, GRS and Pakatan Harapan.

“There has been also kinds of political pressures heaped onto party president Datuk Shafie since Warisan was established in 2016 till today, even Umno Supreme council member Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said that Warisan is their main rival,” he said.

On the issue of the reinstatement of Sabah rights within Malaysia Agreement 1963, Padua said that the negotiation committee, led by the late Datuk VK Liew, who was also de facto law minister, had gotten 17 out of 21 issues resolved but it was DAP’s Lim Guan Eng, who was the finance minister then, who had been delaying the remaining four.

“It was Lim who had announced the promise of a 20 per cent oil royalty and the return of 40 per cent of the state’s revenue which Shafie needed badly to solve the state’s poverty woes.

“In this matter, because of PH’s broken promises, Shafie had to bear the brunt of the people’s anger. Lim probably doesn’t even understand the people’s anger and disappointment,” said Padua.

Yesterday, Poon had called Shafie out for betraying his former allies and giving BN and PN the upper hand, calling Warisan a trojan horse who will split the opposition votes.

Among others, he said that Shafie should bear responsibility and apologise to Sabahans for failing to retrieve our entitlement on gas and oil from then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as Shafie was the chief minister who engaged in negotiations.

Poon compared Warisan to Parti Pejuang Tanah Air and Gerakan Tanah Air for its willingness to appeal to populist sentiment to stay relevant, and PAS for playing the “everything is DAP’s fault” card to gain political mileage.