
Sabah polls: Warisan going solo to avoid interference, says Shafie
"If you discuss with Umno, they want 26 (state seats). If you discuss with Pakatan Harapan (PH), they want 23. And with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), they want 40.
"But is that important to the people? No, it's not. It is about water, electricity and jobs.
"There has been too much interference from Kuala Lumpur, whether it is about our wealth, our system or even our schools.
Featured Videos
"We do not want to be tied up with people with an agenda," he said during the DSSA with Kapayan programme at Wisma Kinsabina here.
Last week, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Barisan Nasional aimed to contest at least one state seat in each of the 25 parliamentary constituencies in Sabah.
Sabah PKR chief Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said Sabah PH was eyeing more than 20 state seats.
GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor had demanded for the coalition to have a majority of the 73 state seats.
Currently, GRS holds 39 seats, Warisan holds 14, Umno holds 11 and PH holds 7.
Previously, Shafie, who is former chief minister, said Warisan had identified candidates for 73 state seats.
"It will be them (voters) who will decide (the results)."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Focus Malaysia
19 minutes ago
- Focus Malaysia
Shafie's Spotify playlist: 2018 broken promises on loop
AMID the looming Sabah state election, Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal is reaching for his old playbook. Once again, he is promising to cancel student loans, hand out free education and restructure Yayasan Sabah into some kind of financial utopia. To the untrained eye, this might sound fresh and inspiring. To Sabahans who remember 2018 to 2020 when he was the chief minister, it's bull excrement. The proposal to abolish PTPTN (National Higher Education Fund Corporation) and Yayasan Sabah loans is not new. In fact, it's almost a word-for-word re-run of what Shafie uttered back when Warisan was in power. The only thing missing is an admission that he had two full years to deliver on these promises but somehow never fulfilled his promise. What happened between 2018 and 2020? Let's be clear. Shafie was not just a regular Sabah state assemblyman during that period. As chief minister he could have picked up the phone to call Yayasan Sabah and said, 'Let's wipe out these loans'. But no such call came. There were no sweeping reforms. No cancelled loans. No full scholarships. Not even a symbolic RM100 rebate. Now, with the state election clock ticking, are we supposed to believe that it will be different this time around? That this time, once he's back in power, he will finally deliver the things he conveniently 'forgot' to do the last time? Sabahans aren't naïve. They remember campaign theatre when they see it. GRS is doing all the work While Warisan replays old campaign narratives like a broken record, the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-led state government under Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has quietly focused on delivering results. No fireworks, no drama – just policies that matter. Take the Higher Education Registration Assistance Fund for B40 students. Or the expansion of the Sabah Maju Jaya Scholarship. Or the increased allocations to Yayasan Sabah for real, functioning scholarships – not just promises at media conferences. Add to that the re-development of rural schools and targeted aid for out-of-state Sabahan students, one can expect to have a record that speaks louder than slogans. This isn't about who can shout the loudest during campaign season. It's about who did the work when the cameras were off. Sabahans deserve better than campaign nostalgia It's easy to make big promises when you're not the one holding the cheque book. But leadership is about doing, not dreaming. Shafie had his chance. He didn't abolish any loans. He didn't offer sweeping scholarships. He didn't transform Yayasan Sabah. Now he returns with the same promises he failed to deliver before, hoping that voters have short memories. But Sabahans possess elephant-like memory. They remember the silence after the speeches. The lack of follow-through. The old wine in a re-cycled bottle. The choice is not between new and old in the upcoming state polls. It's between action and nostalgia. One side is rolling up its sleeves. The other is flipping through an old script, hoping that nobody notices the re-run. Sabah deserves better than re-runs. It deserves results. – Aug 11, 2025 Main image credit: Shafie Apdal/Facebook


New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
PH MP says Pas preschool teacher salaries violate minimum wage law
KUALA LUMPUR: A government backbencher has criticised the low salaries of RM600 to RM700 a month paid to over 9,500 teachers at preschools run by the Islamic party Pas, calling it a clear breach of the minimum wage law. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PH-Setiawangsa) said the justification that Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam (Pasti) teachers were volunteers was unacceptable, as it contradicts the National Wages Consultative Council (Amendment) Act 2025. He added that the practice also denied the teachers contributions to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Social Security Organisation (Perkeso). "If the volunteer excuse is used, every company could simply claim their workers are volunteers, thus not subject to the minimum wage order," he said during the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) in the Dewan Rakyat today. In response, Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman (PN-Bachok) said that although the teachers' salaries are low, other allowances were provided despite them working only four hours a day. He then asked if Nik Nazmi agreed that Pasti helps reduce the government's fiscal burden since it does not use public funds.


Focus Malaysia
an hour ago
- Focus Malaysia
Recounting the day Malaysians stopped Najib from jetting off to Jakarta: A sweet victory for the rakyat
ON the morning of May 12, 2018, something truly historic happened at Subang Airport. Just days after losing the 14th General Election (GE14) in a crushing landslide loss, the disgraced ex-premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his family appeared to be trying to escape the country on a private jet to Jakarta. But ordinary Malaysians, rightfully furious over their years of corruption and scandals, went to the airport to stop them. They were everyday citizens, not politicians or VIPs. They were teachers, shopkeepers, youth and parents from all races and all walks of life. Tired of seeing UMNO steal taxpayers' money while the people struggled, they stood in front of the airport gates and physically blocked cars from entering. Within hours, the Immigration Department swiftly banned Najib and Rosmah from flying out. Their flight was cancelled. The rakyat had won. Later, Najib was finally arrested. This moment was more than just a protest. It was a message to the world: Malaysians care about justice. It showed that when people come together, they can stop even the dirtiest criminals from avoiding accountability. Emulating a similar feat Now, in 2025, Malaysia faces new problems. Life is more expensive. Unemployed youth are frustrated. The criminal Najib and his family, especially his whinging daughter, are trying to rewrite Malaysian history. UMNO puppets like UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh and others are still trying to divide the country. Other Asian nations are quickly out-smarting and out-competing Malaysia. So-called leaders are no longer even pretending to solve problems. But we must remember the airport lesson from 2018: the people have power. Stopping Najib's flight was not just about one thief. It was about protecting Malaysia's future. It showed that democracy is not just about voting. It is also about speaking up, standing firm and uniting together as one people to do what is right. Today, we must carry that same cooperative spirit. If we see corruption, then we must speak out. If we see injustice, then we must act. The work of building a better nation never ends. It needs everyone, every day. What happened at Subang Airport was a tremendously proud moment for Malaysia. It was a peaceful but powerful action. In the words of one senior judge, the people said, 'You are a national embarrassment'. And they made Najib finally face justice. No matter what setbacks Malaysians have experienced since then, no Malaysian should ever forget that triumphant day when the rakyat united to stop a weak but corrupt tyrant. Let that remind us: The Malaysian government belongs to Malaysians – not the other way around. – Aug 11, 2025 Corruption Watch is a reader of Focus Malaysia. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image credit: Malay Mail