Warisan spreads wings to peninsula

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Warisan officially spread its wings to the peninsula today, with the aim to lure new members from different ethnic groups, races and religions.

Its president, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, said the move was also hoped to be the foundation that could change the country's political landscape at the national level.

"There must be a transition from a political system based on race and religion to a more inclusive system based on racial diversity," he said at the launch of Parti Warisan at the national level, here today.

Mohd Shafie Apdal said Warisan, which is now in alliance with Parti Ikatan Demokratik Malaysia (MUDA), is also open to cooperation and forging a coalition with any other parties in facing the upcoming 15th General Election (GE15).

"Any possible cooperation will be discussed with MUDA to make sure that we stabilise our 'home' first before we let others in.

"We want to ensure the cooperation is in line with our struggles," he said.

When asked about who would lead Warisan in various states in the peninsula, Mohd Shafie said the matter will be announced later.

"We cannot assume that we will contest in all the states ... there may be areas that we may not enter at all," he said.

On the challenge of expanding its wings across the South China Sea, Mohd Shafie said he did not see the differences in the political landscape as an obstacle and that he was confident with his experience in politics of more than 35 years, apart from having been a leader at the federal level.

"Despite the challenges, the dynamics of politics in the peninsula is not alien to us," he said.

-- BERNAMA