Shafie claims RM8m in public funds used to attack Warisan online

SABAH POLLS | Warisan president Shafie Apdal has alleged that his political detractors used RM8 million in public funds to finance social media campaigns aimed at discrediting his party through racially charged messaging.

He warned that such tactics distract from Sabah’s real development needs.

Shafie said the amount, which he claimed had risen sharply from RM2 million the previous year, was channelled into social media platforms such as TikTok for political attacks rather than public service.

“They spent RM8 million on that. RM8 million. Last year, they spent RM2 million. And they spent RM8 million on… (platforms like) TikTok.

“The money could be spent on development. Don’t play the race game,” Shafie told reporters after concluding the party’s Mega Warisan rally for the Penampang, Kota Kinabalu, and Putatan areas last night.

The Semporna MP did not provide proof to substantiate his claims.

Shafie said these attacks aimed to paint Warisan as a party defined by ethnicity, even though the party’s message emphasised multiracial unity.

“But unfortunately, even now, what we want is development, progress. Save Sabah.

“But first, we must unite the Sabah people, irrespective of race and religion. That is what is important to us,” he added.

He did not identify which individuals or groups were responsible for the alleged attacks, but clearly indicated the use of state funds to fund the agenda against his party.  

Refusal to join alliances

The Warisan chief also reiterated his long-standing position that his party will not form any pre-election alliance, saying Sabah’s experience under multiple coalitions had failed to produce meaningful change.

Shafie said Warisan was seeking a mandate strong enough to govern on its own.

“I hope that it’s going to be ample for us, not only to form the government, but also to ensure that we have a two-thirds majority,” he added.

When asked whether he would consider alliances after polling day if Warisan fell short, he replied: “We don’t talk about that. Just being positive.”

“Sabahan people first,” he added.

Warisan’s confidence, Shafie said, stemmed from its grassroots work over the past four years.

He believed that Warisan could have secured more seats in previous state elections had it contested more widely at the time.

“In certain places like Sandakan, we could have secured more… even up north Kudat Bay, even down south in Sipitang,” he said.

Warisan won 29 seats in the Sabah election in 2020.  

Sabah will go to the polls on Nov 29 with early voting on the 25th.

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