Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan, the Gagasan Rakyat information chief, said Shafie should realise his own members had rejected his leadership.

He said those who quit Warisan did so because they felt the party was no longer the right platform for them.

“Shafie’s claim that Warisan assemblymen had quit the party because they were bought over is baseless and aimed at smearing the Sabah government led by chief minister Hajiji Noor,” he said in a statement today.

On Wednesday, Shafie, the Semporna MP, claimed that assemblymen Norazlinah Arif (Kunak), Chong Chen Bin (Tanjong Kapor) and Mohammad Mohamarin (Banggi) had been “bought over” to quit Warisan and support Hajiji.

Yesterday, Norazlinah said she left the party because she no longer agreed with its direction, which was inconsistent.

She also challenged Shafie to lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) regarding his claims.

Nizam said if Shafie has any proof that his assemblymen were being “bought over”, he should lodge a report with MACC.

Since the Sabah state election in September 2020, Warisan has lost nine assemblymen, including Hassan A Gani Pg Amir (Sebatik), Yusof Yacob (Sindumin), Mohamaddin Ketapi (Segama), Peter Anthony (Melalap), Juil Nuatim (Limbahau) and Rina Jainal (Kukusan).