SABAH TODAY

SABAHTODAY
KOTA KINABALU: A Parti Warisan Sabah leader has dismissed the contention that the party is causing a rift within Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the midst of the call made by its President, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Shafie Apdal for a change of leadership in the opposition block.

The party’s Wirawati chief, Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis said it is a wake-up call for the opposition block in Malaysia to strengthen itself by having a more credible leadership.

“As an opposition party that is affiliated to PH, Warisan is obliged to voice out its concern with the overall performance of the opposition block in the country, ” she said in a statement today.

“Politics is about perception and if the voters thinks that the top leadership of the opposition block lacks credibility, then obviously all of us will suffer.

“This is more so since we are currently struggling with Covid-19 and the economic downturn. Hence, the continuous non-realization of ‘taking over the Government on September 16, having enough numbers of MPs, ‘strong, formidable and convincing’ majority, purposeful tactic of allowing the budget to pass in second reading, attempting to defeat the budget in committee stage’ and so on as announced in numerous press conferences including audiences with the Yang DiPertuan Agong will definitely tarnish the credibility and reputation of the rest of the opposition parties.

“This will cause the voters to feel disillusioned,”added Munirah.

She reckoned that Datuk Seri Shafie was just reminding friends in PH that as the opposition, our strongest asset is ‘reputation based on strong credibility’ so we must strive to protect this because it is something that most PN leaders do not have.

She also said that the opposition chief in Malaysia should not only focus on taking over the Government or becoming a Prime Minister but must strive to unite and create a new Malaysia.

According to the Kota Belud lawmaker, that leader must be ready to sacrifice time, money and energy by visiting all the States in Malaysia and engaging with the local communities in each constituency to understand their needs and aspiration.

“It is a dynamic world that we live in today and as leaders, we need to constantly impart knowledge, concept and ideals to the grassroot and this can only be achievable through direct engagement firstly with the party grassroot leaders and thereafter with the communities at large,”she added.

An opposition chief’s main focus should not be confined merely on becoming the Prime Minister but on nurturing the concept of UNITY at the grassroots level and to end divisive politics that we see today through PN’s racial and religious preferences. Ultimately, history tells us from the birth of America to the rise of China, unity has been the key to a strong and dominant nation.

“Unfortunately, we no longer see the enthusiasm in our current opposition chief that he once had,” she added.