Melalap assemblyman Peter Anthony quits Warisan

KOTA KINABALU: Melalap assemblyman Datuk Peter Anthony who is also Parti Warisan vice-president today announced that he has quit the party.

Peter, 50, also announced that he will form a new party that will forge close cooperation with the state government led by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

He said he made the decision to quit Parti Warisan after finding that the party had gone far astray in its struggle for the rights and wellbeing of the people of Sabah when it spread its wings to the peninsula.

"It's high time for us, leaders in Sabah, to set our political differences aside to develop our beloved state.

"The people of Sabah need a party that really fights for the rights of Sabahans. That's the most important for us. There's no use of having such a party outside Sabah," he told reporters here today.

Also present was Limbahau assemblyman Juil Nuatim.

With Peter out of the picture, Warisan is now left with 18 seats in the State Assembly after three of its assemblymen - Hassan A Gani Pg Amir (Sebatik), Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob (Sindumin) and Datuk Mohammadin Ketapi (Segama) who is also Lahad Datu MP - quit the party and became independent representatives earlier this year. The party had also lost its Bugaya seat following the death of Datin Manis Muka Mohd Darah.

In the 16th State Election last year, Peter contested on Warisan's ticket and won the Melalap seat with a 1,719-vote majority in a six-cornered fight.

He said the recently-concluded Sarawak election which saw Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) win big was the best example which proves that people prefer their own local leaders to develop their state.

"Let Sarawak be led by Sarawak leaders, Kuala Lumpur by Kuala Lumpur leaders, Negeri Sembilan by Negeri Sembilan leaders, Penang by Penang leaders. As for us in Sabah, we, as leaders must stay focused and develop Sabah together," he said.

Peter also refuted the allegation that he made the decision because of his ongoing document forgery trial, saying that it was done with respect to the people's voice.

"They (the people) want a new platform, a local party that really fights for the Sabahans...I will make an announcement about this (new) party soon, and if anyone is interested in joining us, our doors are open," he said.

When asked whether he had discussed his decision with Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal prior to today's announcement, Peter simply replied: "I think it should be okay."

He said he would send an official letter of notification to the relevant quarters and prepare for any legal action from Warisan, and would also leave it to the country's judicial system to decide on his position after this.

"If the court decided that I must vacate the Melalap seat, I'm ready to comply with the laws," he said.

On Dec 14, the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court ordered Peter, who is also former Sabah Minister of Infrastructure Development to enter defence on a charge of falsifying a letter from the office of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Deputy Vice-Chancellor for a system maintenance contract work at the university in 2014.

The court set his defence trial from Jan 3 to 7 next year.

-- BERNAMA