Warisan to hold party election in July or August

Warisan president Shafie Apdal said the party polls needed to be held sooner to fill posts vacated by some who had resigned, or to replace those who had voiced their intention to step down from their positions.

This would then allow younger leaders to step up in the chain of leadership, he said, according to Borneo Post.

“At the end of the day, we don’t want to be caught in a situation where the party is not being run properly,” he was quoted as saying.

Shafie added that it was up to Warisan members to decide if the party presidency should be contested or if he should be reelected to the position unopposed.

The former Sabah chief minister played down concerns that the party polls could lead to internal division, saying it was normal to have friendly rivalries in party elections.

“The important thing is that the vehicle is still intact,” said the Semporna MP.

Shafie has been president of Warisan since the party was founded in 2016, with former trade minister Darell Leiking serving as his deputy since then as well.

The party won 25 of the 73 seats up for grabs in the Sabah state assembly election held last Nov 29, and the polls ended with no party attaining a simple majority.