Shafie: M'sia won't perish without Dr M, Anwar and Muhyiddin

Exhorting voters to back Parti Warisan’s candidates in their peninsular electoral debut, its president Shafie Apdal recalled how greed in Pakatan Harapan had eclipsed the people’s dream of a new dawn after the watershed 2018 general election.

In his bid to convince the voters to step out of their comfort zone, the former Sabah chief minister gave them his assurance that the country would survive without Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) pro tem chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad,  Pakatan Harapan leader Anwar Ibrahim and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Speaking at his maiden ceramah in PPR Batu Muda, Kuala Lumpur, last night (photo above), Shafie said he left BN to join hands with Harapan, thinking there would be hope for the people’s future.

“...It later became apparent that there was no ‘harapan’ (hope),” he added to loud cheers from the audience, numbering about 150.

Shafie also recounted how he, Mahathir, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang had travelled the length and breadth of the nation to campaign during the last general election.

“At the time, Anwar Ibrahim was in jail (over a sodomy conviction, which Anwar claimed was fabricated).

“Within months of winning the election, Mahathir asked for Anwar to be freed from prison - to be given a full pardon so that he could contest for the Port Dickson parliamentary seat.

“Usually, there are conditions (for those who are in prison), but an exception was made for Anwar so that he could contest in Port Dickson,” Shafie added.

The PKR president returned to Parliament in September 2018 after the Port Dickson incumbent Danyal Balagopal Abdullah of PKR, who won the seat with a 17,710-vote majority, stepped down to allow Anwar to contest the seat in a by-election.

Shafie said after winning the seat, Anwar “resumed his bickering with Mahathir - when he should become prime minister and the so-called ‘harapan’ remained just that, ‘harapan’...

“…Endless bickering. Not quarrelling about the interests of the people or whether they have enough food on the table, but about who would be prime minister and who would be the leader.

“The leaders in this country are driven by greed,” he added.

Reiterating his call on voters to support Warisan in the 15th general election, Shafie reminded them that lingering greed and power struggles are detrimental to Malaysia.

Questioning the direction of the country under the present leaders, he said: “The country won’t die if there is no Mahathir, the country won’t die if there is no Anwar and the country won’t die if there is no Muhyiddin. Am I right?”

“But the people would suffer if they only hold on to those who are lusting to become prime minister,” he added.

Shafie then went on to name Nathan Pillai as the candidate for the Batu parliamentary seat, which is shaping up to be a crowded race.

The Warisan president is scheduled to announce the remaining candidates for the party’s Peninsular Malaysia seats tomorrow. A total of 27 candidates are expected to be named.

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