“Things are fine, nothing is happening,” said Warisan secretary-general Loretto Padua today, in response to reports yesterday that a number of assemblymen aligned with the Warisan-led ruling coalition are looking to switch sides.
“About these crossovers, actually, people are sick of them. But what we want to know is what happened to the police report lodged by (Warisan’s) Kuamut assemblyman Masiung Banah on the mystery surrounding the presence of several cars outside his residence last month.
“And recently, Moyog assemblyman Jenifer Lasimbang (Warisan) and her sister Jannie (DAP-Kapayan) were also allegedly visited by people, apparently trying to get them to defect.
“If a report was lodged on this, I hope the authorities will seriously look into it.”
Masiung had claimed that there was a convergence of cars outside his apartment here on June 22. The assemblyman said he did not know why the cars had gathered there.
Speculation was rife that it had something to do with Masiung being pressured to leave Warisan, which he joined after leaving Upko in 2018.
Meanwhile, a local news portal reported today that the Lasimbang sisters were believed to be visited by political agents. It was claimed that they had offered them money and positions if they were to leave the ruling coalition.
Responding to this, Padua said if this were true, it was not the way forward that Sabahans and Malaysians had wanted.
“Maybe for them, the luxuries mean nothing, but it would be better spent on the people down the chain who are the ones with real difficulties in life,” he said.
Sources claim the state opposition is close to securing a simple majority following the purported agreement by several elected representatives to align themselves with it.
The state opposition, comprising Umno, PPBM, STAR and PBS, has 20 assemblymen including three independents, one of whom is nominated.
It needs 13 more seats to attain a simple majority in the 65-seat state assembly to unseat the state government, comprising Warisan, Upko, DAP and PKR, led by Chief Minister Shafie Apdal.
The ruling coalition has 45 seats, including 33 held by Warisan, seven by DAP, three by Upko and two by PKR. If 13 assemblymen jump ship, it will be left with 32 seats – one short of the opposition.
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