KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah’s struggle will go on if its president, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, is detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
As MACC’s probe into the mishandling of Federal Government funds meant for Sabah picks up speed, Warisan vice-president Junz Wong said the party was prepared to deal with any possibility.
“We will continue to rally our members and our programmes will go on. If (Shafie is) picked up, Darell (Leiking) will be acting president, and he will run the party’s administration. All of them have been briefed. We have plans and work will continue,” he said.
Leiking is the party’s deputy president.
Wong, who is also Likas assemblyman, said Shafie had given a thorough motivational talk and briefing to party members.
He added that the party had conducted many meeting in many different levels.
He said the party’s main machinery was aware of what was happening and what will likely happen.
“We expected it (MACC to pick up Shafie) to happen last month and Shafie also expected to be detained at the airport (on Oct 6), but nothing happened. I think they (MACC) have changed their tactics.
“However, we are prepared for (the arrest). Of course, our people are emotional, but I think they understand that this is a long struggle. It’s not going to be easy, but we are not worried about it.”
Wong said Shafie had informed party members that he was not worried as he was not involved in corrupt practices and willing to assist MACC.
Wong described the investigation on their leaders as “political intimidation and attempt to break our leaders”, while questioning why MACC is only focusing their probe on projects under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry in Sabah and not in other states as well.
“I had also read a report saying this (probe) is an attempt to stop our financial support. But, this will not stop us. It doesn’t do anything harm to us,” he said,
On rumours that two Umno Youth leaders detained by MACC wanted to jump ship, Wong said he did not know them personally, but it could be possible.
“If they think there were only two of them, then that’s naive. There are more of them, but it’s just a matter of time when the election comes. I know they are being picked up because they are close to Shafie. It’s not a random pick up.”
He said Warisan was all for clean government, but was against selective prosecution, adding that there were many more obvious cases while mentioning Yayasan Sabah.
“It’s interesting to see where it goes, whether there are more BN fellows who will be picked up like Yusof,” he said, referring to Shafie’s other younger brother Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal.
Since Oct 5, MACC had detained six individuals in Sabah and Putrajaya.
The six individuals are Shafie’s younger brother Hamid Apdal, Warisan vice-president Datuk Peter Anthony, Warisan Youth chief Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman, Tenom Umno Youth chief Jamawi Jaafar, Tawau Umno Youth chief Ariffin Kassim and a local businessman, Yu Sin Kong.