SAPP president Yong Teck Lee said Leiking should “detach himself from Warisan’s heavy baggage” and stand as an independent candidate in the coming state elections at his Moyog home base.

“Each time that Leiking got emotional in defending Warisan from the widespread talk that his party is friendly to illegal immigrants, he revealed that he was kissing goodbye to his version of Warisan,” said Yong.

“It is crystal clear that he has succumbed to more powerful personalities in Warisan, and now has to bear heavy baggage of the Papar dam and the illegal immigrants issue.”

Yong said there was nothing to show that Warisan was doing anything to solve the illegal immigrant problem, and named Warisan leaders Shafie Apdal, Junz Wong, Azis Jamman, as having pushed policies in favour of the migrants.

He said Wong proposed reclaiming 200 acres for Gaya Island squatters, Azis gave excuses that the Philippines did not want to take back deportees from Sabah while Shafie, the chief minister, repeatedly gave approval for pump boats against security advice.

Yong said Warisan and their allies in DAP had defended the controversial Pas Sementara Sabah, which they gave up only when suffering defeat at the Kimanis by-election in January.

He reminded Leiking of his promise when in opposition to scrap the proposed RM3 billion Kaiduan dam, which was renamed Papar dam and approved by the Warisan government when it came to power.