Warisan polls: Mohd Shafie open to leadership challenge

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan (Warisan) president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has expressed his openness to any challenge for his position during the party elections at the 2021 Warisan Annual General Meeting scheduled for August.

The Semporna MP said the party practises democratic principles, meaning that all leaders at every level, including himself, can be challenged in party elections.

"If our leadership is still accepted, that's ok....there's no restrictions or obstacles for our party members (to contest any position).

"In fact, I did tell my deputy (Warisan deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking) if you want to contest the top position it's not an issue," he said during a media conference after the Warisan supreme council meeting at Warisan headquarters in Kolombong here today.

Mohd Shafie said the party initially requested to postpone the polls, but the Registrar of Societies rejected the application on May 26, and paving the way for elections to be held in August.

On whether Warisan leadership contesting in August have prepared the party to contest should the 15th General Election (GE15) be held soon, he believed that the party preparations would be implemented well.

He said as a political party, Warisan needed to always be prepared for anything, including GE15, and he believed the party had strong support from the people at the grassroots level.

"I am convinced that Warisan is still strong and united. Although faced with various challenges, we remain firm and continue to garner people's support, therefore Warisan at the grassroots level is still strong," Mohd Shafie said.

-- BERNAMA