Little progress under GRS, time for Warisan to return, says Shafie

The Star

01-05-2025

KOTA KINABALU: Warisan is ready to return and lead Sabah again, says Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
The Warisan president said, despite five years in power, the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government had failed to deliver meaningful progress, with Sabahans still facing the same unresolved issues while its leaders continue to rely on slogans like 'Sabah Maju Jaya.'
'GRS uses the slogan Sabah Maju Jaya, but when I look at it… They've been in power for five years, what progress have we actually seen in Sabah? The surau has no water, the toilets in the state assembly also have no water. What kind of management is this?' he asked during a Kaamatan celebration in Papar, Thursday (May 1).
He added that basic infrastructure problem,s such as water shortages and unreliable electricity supply, continue to plague the state, with even the state assembly relying on water tankers to function. In some districts, Sabah is now depending on Sarawak to supply electricity — a situation Shafie described as unacceptable for a state so rich in resources.
He said Sabah remains Malaysia's biggest petroleum producer, contributing 37% of the national domestic output, yet has little control over its oil and gas operations.
He also claimed that official data backs Warisan's performance during its time in government.
Citing the Statistics Department Malaysia, Shafie said his administration had delivered better outcomes in areas such as employment, GDP growth and social cohesion compared to the current state leadership.
Shafie also raised concerns over the disappearance of RM400mil in public funds, referring to a court matter that, he said, has yet to be clearly explained.
He also reminded the crowd of Warisan's record during its 22-month administration, which included increasing Sabah's GDP to RM85bil in 2019 and repaying RM1bil in federal debt — all while managing the Covid-19 pandemic.
Defending Warisan's inclusive policies, he said his administration approved funding for churches in Tambunan and Penampang, adding that every community deserves support regardless of religion or ethnicity.
'I was not a chief minister for Muslims. I was the chief minister for all Sabahans,' he said.
He urged voters to think beyond short-term handouts and political slogans.
'Think about your children's future. Don't stay dependent. Sabah is rich, but if we keep acting like beggars, what future do we have?' he said.
Warisan has remained firm in its stance to contest the coming state election on its own. The party previously led the state government from 2018 to 2020.