KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) has over 200,000 registered members since it was established in 2016, its president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said.
Mohd Shafie, who is also Sabah Chief Minister, said the number was part of the applications approved by the party, considering there were still more than 50,000 applications that were still pending and in the process of being approved.
He said Warisan would come up with membership cards which would then be handed out to the party’s registered members in the hope of strengthening the party.
“We will investigate in depth not only on the number of members we have, but the type of “value” they add to the party,”.
“We want members who understand the party’s struggles. They should have good intentions in ensuring the stability of the government ...,” he told reporters after chairing the party’s Supreme Council Meeting here today.
Mohd Shafie said the meeting lasted nearly three hours, discussing among others, the party’s approach in increasing its membership besides determining its direction of empowering the party especially after the general election and party election.
Warisan now had 26 divisions with more than 700 branches throughout Sabah. The number of branches is expected to increase as the party had received the ‘green light’ from the Registrar of Societies to set up another branch.
Meanwhile, Mohd Shafie said the appointment of eight Supreme Council members were announced at the meeting. They included Sabah Education and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob, who will serve as Warisan’s Information chief and also Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi and Labuan Member of Parliament Rozman Isli.
Mohd Shafie, who is also chairman of the Sabah Security Committee, said the state government welcomed any proposal or change sought by the federal government regarding the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESScom).
He said what was more important was the agency could play a role in strengthening security control in Sabah, especially in the east coast of the state.
“I’m aware of the changes that are to be made. We (the state government) will give our full support and co-operation as well as any proposal from the Federal Government to be implemented at the Sabah (state) level because security is important,” he said.
Mohd Shafie said this when he was asked to comment on a news portal report which cited sources who claimed that ESScom would be restructured to reduce costs. – Bernama