Umno leaders hit out at Warisan for ‘racial slur’

Warisan is trying to incite hatred and discord among the people, says Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Yahya Hussin.

Yahya Hussin distributing ang pow during a Chinese New Year celebration in Putatan.

PUTATAN: Several Sabah Umno leaders have lambasted Parti Warisan Sabah for accusing Foreign Minister Anifah Aman of making racial slurs against the opposition party and its president, Shafie Apdal, recently.

“This was an attempt by the opposition to incite hatred and sow discord among the people and I want to stress that we in BN are not taking such an approach,” Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Yahya Hussin said.

“We are a party and coalition that wants to see all ethnic groups united.”

Yahya, who is also Petagas assemblyman, was speaking to reporters after a Chinese New Year event here today.

Yesterday, Shafie confirmed that Warisan would take Anifah to court once the party had determined the amount of cost it would be seeking.

At least three police reports had been lodged by the party against Anifah over what it claimed were insinuations by the Kimanis MP that Warisan was a party of pirates out to claim its ancestral rights to the state.

Anifah’s speech was allegedly made at a recent event attended by the Chinese community from Kimanis at a hotel in Kota Kinabalu prior to the Chinese New Year holidays.

Tenom Umno chief and Kemabong assemblyman Rubin Balang said the ruling party rejected Warisan’s allegations.

“The opposition, particularly Warisan, is trying to stoke the fire of racism,” he said during a youth carnival in his constituency yesterday.

“It is our duty as leaders to ensure the rakyat live in harmony.

“As leaders, our job is to treat all equally and to bring economic and infrastructure development as well as education to everyone.

“We totally reject any leaders who try to use sentiments of racism. There’s no place for this in our country and state.”

Tenom Umno women’s chief Rahmahjan Sulaiman Khan said playing on the people’s emotions was now the main tactic of the opposition.

“Those in the opposition now like to raise the issue of race when making their rounds in the kampungs,” she said during the same event in Tenom.

“For instance, Warisan had accused Anifah of making derogatory comments but this was an attempt to twist what Anifah had said.”

Rahmahjan said the opposition was narrow-minded and indulging in cheap politics to win the people’s sympathies.

“The voters now know the attitude of the opposition which is desperate for support in the upcoming election,” she said.

“The opposition is so out of ideas that they will now spin all issues raised by BN’s elected representatives.”

It was reported that in the recording of the speech by Anifah, he had apparently told the audience that Sabahans should choose only “genuine” Sabahans to become chief minister.

Warisan said the statement implied that Shafie was not considered a genuine Sabahan.

Shafie had blamed the whole episode on Anifah and BN.

“They were the ones who started it, when it is clearly spelt out under the state constitution who are the natives of Sabah.

“Bajau is one of the (native) races and I come from that ethnic group,” he reportedly said. -FMT