GE14 | Despite Parti Warisan Sabah president Shafie Apdal telling Amanah not to contest in Sabah in the coming general election, polls, the party's state chief Hamzah Abdullah maintains that Amanah will be contesting in at least two seats.

"Today we will be meeting our party president and we'll make a decision that we will still contest in the election. We will contest in seats that have been decided upon by Pakatan Harapan.

"Whatever the circumstances may be, we will fight whoever that will be standing in Batu Sapi and Kalabakan. We won't be fighting against Harapan, we will be fighting Warisan because we don't have a pact with Warisan," Hamzah told Malaysiakini.

Asked whether he was concerned of being accused of splitting votes, Hamzah said it was Shafie who was causing the split in votes, citing his "greedy attitude."

"Shafie is the root cause of the division in Harapan and (Sabah Harapan chief) Christina (Liew) has failed in her responsibility to ensure the welfare of Sabah Harapan," said Hamzah, who accused Liew of having secret meetings with Shafie in relation to seat negotiations.

Hamzah also branded Shafie as a "rude and arrogant" leader after the former said that he had negotiated with Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu for the two parties not to contest in the state. 

"He is not yet in power, yet he is making a decision that does not prioritise his component partner.

"You're talking about the Malaysia Agreement, about equal partnership yet you are cruel with your component partner."

Asked to comment on the remarks by Shafie (photo), Mohamad yesterday insisted that negotiations on the matter were still ongoing.

"That is his view and we respect that view. We will continue to discuss.

"The final decision can be reached in the soonest possible time, InsyaAllah," Mohamad, who is widely known as Mat Sabu, said during a press conference at the Selangor Amanah office in Shah Alam.

'Shafie behaving like a big brother'

On Shafie who said that both Bersatu and Sabah Amanah leaders could be given the position of senators, Hamzah questioned how confident was Shafie that he could wrest the state from BN.

"With the way he's leading the pact – Shafie is very arrogant, behaving like a big brother in Harapan, dictating terms to Amanah, whether they should contest or not.

"We have been here since 2013, where was he then? He was in Umno, he was still a minister (while) we have experience with the people as opposition leaders. We know what the people want."

Speaking further about the offer to become senators, Hamzah said a senatorship was nothing but an offer to 'makan gaji buta' (paid salary without doing anything).

"Getting paid RM20,000, RM30,000 to sit quietly? But I'm a fighter for the people. Do you want to offer senatorship? You're kidding lah, you're belittling me.

"There is no role (for me to do something) for the people. The people in Batu Sapi need a leader who can really understand their problems, such as the land issue," he added.

Questioning Warisan's decision to field Liew Vui Keong, Hamzah said Liew "only appeared yesterday."

"You want to push your candidate and push Amanah aside, it's not fair."

Hamzah also said it was unfair to merely dismiss Amanah as a "small" party, pointing out how it had taken PKR and DAP many years to make inroads in Sabah.

"And you can say I am a poor leader and I am not prominent because I have never become a minister, I never received bribes," he said, without mentioning names.

Hamzah, earlier this month, had confirmed that Amanah was never part of the discussions among Warisan, DAP and PKR.

However, Warisan vice-president Junz Wong said the party was only interested in working with relevant parties in the state.

Apart from Sabah Amanah, PAS is also expected to field candidates in Batu Sapi and Kalabakan.

In its announcement yesterday, Sabah PAS said it would be fielding candidates in eight parliamentary and 18 state seats.