A Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) leader today slammed Upko for urging Shafie Apdal to state his stand on the reissuance of identity cards in order to resolve the problem of illegal immigrants in the state.
Terence Siambun said Upko secretary-general Donald Mojuntin’s statement reeks of desperation, and suggests that Mojuntin’s allies in the Barisan Nasional (BN) have ignored him over the same request to correct the problems created by what was popularly called Project IC.
“If that is the case, then it is most welcomed if Upko ditch BN in Sabah and form a pact with Warisan instead.
“This is especially so, with the dilemma faced by Madius Tangau and Donald Mojuntin, that they cannot get Prime Minister Najib Razak to support the reissuance of MyKads despite having spoken about it even before the last general election in 2013,” the Warisan treasurer said in a statement released today.
Siambun added that he also sympathised with the Upko leaders because they had staunchly supported Najib over the GST issue in Parliament and also on the 1MDB scandal.
“Mojuntin’s action portrays an act of desperation on the part of Upko to survive not only within BN itself but in the state as well.
“I assume Mojuntin may have forgotten but Penampang voters may very well remember the giant signboard near the Sigah roundabout implying that a win for BN Sabah is a win for Upko’s proposed reissuance of ICs in the state,” said Siambun, who used to be with PKR before joining Shafie in Warisan.
He questioned the delay in implementing what was promised four years ago, saying there was no reason for Upko to now ask for the opinion of a state opposition leader instead.
“Nothing has happened after four years, and now Mojuntin is demanding Shafie Apdal support him.
“I find it funny (and so do thousands of Sabahans) because shouldn’t Upko be demanding Sabah Umno to support their proposal since both are in the government of the day,” he said, coyly adding that the idea on the reissuance of the MyKad was not even Upko’s to begin with.
“If my memory serves me well, I do believe it was SAPP who brought up the idea through numerous Borneo Tea Party’s organised by UBF prior to GE13 but somehow it ended being used by Upko in its GE13 campaign.”
Siambun also reminded Mojuntin that it was Penampang MP Darell Leiking (now with Warisan), who had repeatedly asked the Federal Government in Parliament at each session on whether the reissuance of ICs in Sabah will commence, but to no avail.
“Perhaps Mojuntin can arrange for an appointment with Leiking for a copy of the answer he received in Parliament.” - FMT