Parti Warisan Sabah president Mohd Shafie Apdal has no qualms if Pakatan Harapan were to challenge him in his stronghold of Semporna.

“If they want to fight, they can come to Semporna. If they want to contest, no problem," he told reporters at Bukit Damansara today.

He was asked to respond to the possibility of Harapan contesting in Semporna.

Shafie, however, admitted that it would be better should there be cooperation with Harapan to topple BN.

He explained that it would only split votes if he were to contest in a Chinese-majority area in which DAP is also contesting in.

“What is important is to topple the BN government. (We should do) whatever it takes to topple the government but that doesn't mean we have to succumb (to all of Harapan's demands).

Although Harapan was free to contest in Semporna, Shafie said they would not do so if they agreed on toppling BN.

“For example, if DAP were to contest in Kota Kinabalu, I won’t field a candidate there so I’m sure they won’t field a (Harapan) candidate in my area, too, although we don’t have a formal pact," he added.

Meanwhile, Shafie reiterated that Warisan has no plans to join Harapan. This, despite the party agreeing on the need to topple BN.

"We support what they are doing in the peninsula. But we want to make sure Warisan will be there in Sabah for the rights of Sabahans and the state."

Shafie also stressed that there was no plan to join Harapan even in the future.

"I'm not going to sign any joint pact or agreement with Harapan, no. Warisan will remain as an independent party in Sabah, that is very clear."

Asked why Warisan was not interested in being part of Harapan, Shafie pointed out that the party does not plan to contest in the peninsula.

"They have their own structure so we don't want to get entangled with their structure here.

"Let them decide what they want, we will decide what we want," he added.

How, then, would the candidate of prime minister be determined should Harapan win in the next election?

"Of course, we have to form a national government but that doesn't mean that whatever the national leaders want, we succumb to it," he said.

Shafie quit Umno last year after the latter suspended his party membership.

The Registrar of Societies (ROS) then allowed the renaming of Parti Pembangunan Warisan Sabah, which was taken over by Shafie, to Parti Warisan Sabah.

The ROS also approved the logo and constitution in Shafie's application.