IT started off alright in October 2016, with statements from senior leaders that it would be rocking the boat in Sabah but since then, things have not been that rosy for Parti Warisan.
The party led by former federal minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal initially had a pact with Pakatan Harapan (PH) and was part of the federal governing bloc after the 14th General Election (GE14) although it ended that relationship in April 2021.
In the 2020 Sabah state election, Warisan failed to win a majority to form the state government — the first indication that its future would not be too smooth sailing.
Subsequently, in December 2021, Warisan decided to go national, with the first test of its popularity coming in the March 2022 Johor state election. It fared badly, losing all six seats it had contested from the 56 available to be won.
One peninsula-based party Warisan worked together with for GE15 was a (literally) young Muda which had won one out of seven seats it had contested in the Johor state polls and one parliamentary seat in GE15.
It is hardly the kind of party with the influence to prop up another that was trying its luck in the peninsula for the first time.
Come GE15 in November last year, Warisan went on to lose all 26 state seats it had contested in the peninsula while for parliamentary seats, it won only three in its home base of Sabah (as compared to eight seats previously).
Recently, a video went viral showing three of its state representatives in Sabah quitting to become independents supporting the Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) which currently helms the state government led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
The defections have only strengthened Hajiji’s hold on the administration with his GRS now having 47 of the 79 representatives, including six who are nominated by the party in control.
Sabah politics may have a reputation in Malaysia for being fractious with ambushes here and there, but with this kind of majority, it is unlikely anyone can unseat GRS and Hajiji from their firm control of the state for some time to come. – Feb 7, 2023
