Not easy for Chinese to trust Warisan: ‘Party favoured certain ethnic group and practised nepotism in appointments' claim
Published on: Fri, Aug 15, 2025 Text Size: Norazlinah and Mohammad. Kota Kinabalu: A former Warisan leader says the party may face difficulty securing support from Chinese voters in Sabah due to several unpopular decisions made during its tenure in government, including perceived favouritism towards certain communities in public sector appointments. Norazlinah Arif, the party's former Wanita chief, claimed there was internal dissatisfaction with Party President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal's leadership between May 2018 and September 2020, particularly over the appointment of state department heads. The Kunak Assemblywoman said Warisan failed to uphold its own 'unity' slogan when it ran the State Government by allowing widespread nepotism in appointments to senior positions. 'It's not just the Chinese. Other races also did not feel Warisan was fighting for Sabah anymore,' she said. Norazlinah, who left Warisan on Feb 6, 2023, said the party's decision to exit Pakatan Harapan and contest the 15th general election independently also complicated its relationship with Chinese voters. Which was why GE15 saw Warisan lose the Penampang and Sepanggar seats to Pakatan. Referring to Shafie recently unveiling the party's new 'Save Sabah' slogan, positioning Warisan as a Sabah party to win voters over, she said such rhetoric would only lead Warisan to repeat its 2020 state election defeat. 'How can we believe in a party, which was supposedly established on the basis of unity, but only focuses on certain communities?' she said. Mohammad Mohamarin, another Assemblyman who left Warisan together with Norazlinah, said the 'Save Sabah' slogan failed to address basic issues such as water, electricity and roads. The Banggi representative said the party's narrative makes Sabah seem like it is in dire straits, even though Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has been working hard to resolve the state's longstanding issues. 'In the Warisan state government, we waited for over two years for initiatives to resolve these issues. We were forced to meet with the chief minister (Shafie) but received no aid. 'The current (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) State Government has implemented many initiatives, so the notion that Warisan will 'save Sabah' is not accurate,' said the former Warisan supreme council member. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
36 minutes ago
- The Star
Photo exhibit in Minsk commemorates 80th anniversary of victory of World Anti-Fascist War
MINSK, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A photo exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War opened on Friday at the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War in Minsk. More than 250 representatives from the Belarusian government and various sectors of society attended the opening ceremony and viewed the photos. Titled "Remembering History, Forging the Future," the exhibition features some 70 precious historical and contemporary images. These photos showcase the Chinese nation's tremendous contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, highlight the pivotal role of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the resistance against Japanese aggression, tell the story of the touching friendship between the Chinese and Soviet people who fought side by side, and demonstrate the fruitful outcomes of all-round practical cooperation between China and Belarus. Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, said in a video speech that during the World Anti-Fascist War, all forces of justice worldwide, including China and the Soviet Union, stood united against their common foes and fought courageously. They forged a profound friendship with blood and sacrifice, making indelible historical contributions to safeguarding world peace and advancing the cause of human progress. Eighty years on, China and Belarus are carrying forward their historical friendship, jointly upholding international fairness and justice, writing a new chapter in their all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership, and promoting the steady and long-term development of bilateral relations and mutually beneficial cooperation, Fu added. Chinese Ambassador to Belarus Zhang Wenchuan said that the exhibition exposes the heinous crimes committed by Japanese invaders in China, records the history of the unyielding Chinese people's heroic resistance against Japanese aggression under the leadership of the CPC, and reflects the profound friendship between the Chinese and Soviet people who fought side by side. "We should take history as a mirror, draw wisdom and strength from the profound lessons of the World War II and the great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, firmly oppose all forms of hegemonism and power politics, and work together to build a better future for mankind," he noted. Nikolai Snopkov, first deputy prime minister of Belarus, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech, stating that Belarus and China paid a heavy price for the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. At a time when the number of historical witnesses is dwindling, it is particularly important to hold such photo exhibits to honor history, tell historical truths, and oppose any distortion of history, whitewashing of criminals or desecration of heroes and martyrs, he said. The exhibition, running through Sept. 5, is co-organized by the Chinese embassy in Belarus, Xinhua News Agency's branches in Minsk and China's Jiangsu Province, the China Image Group, in collaboration with the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, and supported by the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Court to hear MCMC's contempt bid against Telegram on Sept 24
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission obtained an interim injunction order against Telegram from the Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 13. KUALA LUMPUR : The High Court here will hear the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's application to initiate contempt proceedings against Telegram on Sept 24. Justice Mahazan Mat Taib fixed the date after Daniel Bock, the lawyer representing Telegram, informed the court they needed 14 days to file a reply. Both MCMC, represented by lawyer SN Nair, and Telegram were ordered to file their submissions by Sept 19. The court also set Sept 11 to deliver its decision on MCMC's separate bid for a full injunction against Telegram. The contempt bid, filed yesterday, alleges that the messaging platform failed to comply with one of the terms of an ex parte injunction granted on July 17. On June 19, MCMC announced it had sued Telegram and two of its channels – Edisi Siasat and Edisi Khas – for allegedly spreading harmful content that could erode trust in public institutions and threaten social order. Edisi Siasat and Edisi Khas are anonymous channels known for publishing whistleblower-style allegations, particularly targeting public institutions and enforcement agencies. Despite being unofficial, their posts often gain traction and trigger public debates.
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Russian missile hits Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region
KYIV (Reuters) -Russia launched a ballistic missile into Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region on Friday, killing one and wounding at least one other person and causing a fire, the regional governor said. The attack came hours before a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss a ceasefire deal for Ukraine. "A truck and a minibus were damaged in a hostile attack on the Dnipro district. A man was killed. Another person was injured," Serhiy Lysak said on the Telegram messenger. The city of Dnipro is a logistics hub for Ukrainian forces, and the Dnipropetrovsk region borders the combat zone and is regularly shelled by Russian forces. (Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; editing by Mark Heinrich and Alex Richardson)
