Coup could still happen after polls, Sabah needs anti-hopping law - Shafie
Caretaker Chief Minister Shafie Apdal has voiced concern that a political coup may still take place in Sabah, even after a new state government is formed.
He fears a repeat of defections after the fresh election, as what had happened with 13 government lawmakers who switched sides before the State Assembly was dissolved...
Caretaker Chief Minister Shafie Apdal has voiced concern that a political coup may still take place in Sabah, even after a new state government is formed.
He fears a repeat of defections after the fresh election, as what had happened with 13 government lawmakers who switched sides before the State Assembly was dissolved.
This had occurred a few times in the electoral history of the Borneo state and as such, Shafie reiterated the dire need for Sabah to formulate an anti-hopping law to prevent assemblypersons from defecting to the opposition.
"I think they will also try their level best to buy people (lawmakers) after the (state) election," he said in an interview with business radio BFM's Breakfast Grille today.
"We have to formulate an enactment, (to think of a way) we can refrain them from moving out from the ruling government," he added.
On July 29, former chief minister Musa Aman announced that he had enough support to form a new state government.
Following this, the Warisan president dissolved the State Legislative Assembly on July 30, after obtaining consent from Sabah Governor Juhar Mahiaddin, paving the way for snap state polls.
Shafie came under fire for calling the election in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout.
"Of course I won't like to dissolve it (the State Legislature) because we are facing a lot of problems in the country. We face not only an economic crisis but also Covid-19 is right in front of us," he said.
However, Shafie pointed out that the ruling lawmakers were being offered money and government positions as well as being intimidated by stalkers following them around and tax officers going to their house.
"When I looked at the way they did things in such a manner, it was better for me to hand over (the mandate to) let the people decide," he added.
Shafie said the governor has the constitutional right to consent to the dissolution of the State Legislature, based on the advice of the chief minister.
On another development, Shafie remained confident that Sabahans who are working in Peninsular Malaysia would return to vote.
The six-term Semporna MP believed this based on past experience where his party dealt with those who needed transportation to return home to vote during the general elections.
He recalled how a chartered flight using a Boeing 737 plane was arranged to fly voters back to Sabah when he was still with Umno.
"When I was the then vice-president of Umno, we chartered a flight, (using a) Boeing 737 and brought back all voters residing in Kuala Lumpur," he said.
According to him, many Sabahans have gone home as they lost jobs following the economic fallout due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some of these people had asked the state government to help them to fly back to Sabah, he said.
"They said: 'Please help us'. And some of them are here (back home)now," he said.
Voters who reside out of the state were seen as the potential vote bank of the two-year-old Warisan-led government and its Pakatan Harapan allies.
A large number of Sabahans are working and residing in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.