WITH every winning seat in the 15th General Election (GE15) now matters as political coalitions jostle for both the premiership status and the absolute right to form the federal government, it would not sound an overstatement to say that Parti Warisan has suddenly found itself in a ‘kingmaker’ position.
At the eleventh hour just prior to the 2pm deadline set by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for coalitions/parties to submit their prime minister (PM) nominees, Warisan has pledged its support to back Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) for “having garnered the highest number of seats in the recently concluded GE15”.
“Warisan gives its support to PH and BN because both have the number of seats to form a government and the majority of the people have voted for PH and BN,” justified the Sabah-based party in a statement. “As such, PH and BN should be given (sic) the first choice to form a government.”
Deservingly for its ‘kingmaker’ stature, Warisan caveated that its support “is also on the premise that the new federal government will resolve in full the 21 Claims under the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 (MA63).
“The party hopes that PH together with BN will be able to secure partners that will enable the formation of the next federal government that brings political stability and unity to the country.”
Interestingly, one wonders if ‘bad blood’ has prevented Warisan from considering fellow Borneo coalitions in the likes of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) or even Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) which is closest to its home base as potential coalition partners.
On the hindsight, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong himself has requested for patience pending his decision on who will form the next federal government.
Exiting Istana Negara to greet the media, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said it would be too soon for him to reveal anything as yet.
“Please be rational, we have to move on. We have to move forward for our beloved nation,” he was cited as saying by the Free Malaysia Today (FMT) news portal. “Let me make the decision as soon as possible.”
Considering that a party which won three seats like Warisan can suddenly ‘become so influential’, just imagine the impact that the sole Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) GE15 winner Datuk Larry S’ng (Julau in Sarawak) or the two Sabahan indies (independent candidates), Riduan Rubin and Datuk Verdon Bahanda who were victorious in Tenom and Kudat respectively, have when push comes to shove. – Nov 22, 2022
