Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has defended the party solo move, citing political fatigue from years of dealing with internal demands in big camps. 

The former chief minister said working in big political alliances often meant dealing with multiple vested interests, which complicated efforts to govern effectively.

“Sometimes these coalitions come with pressure. They want posts, they want to demand all sorts of things,” Shafie told reporters during a breaking-of-fast event in Kota Belud last night. 

He said the politics of deal-making had taken precedence over public service, leaving leaders with little room to focus on the people’s needs.

“Instead of thinking how to help the people, it becomes about this YB wanting to be a minister, that YB wanting a project or a mineral licence — even timber concessions and carbon credit deals.”

Shafie said backdoor arrangements and negotiations led to inefficiencies and blurred the government’s priorities.

“There must be clarity in where we are going, the directions on how we can ensure that the people in Sabah are better off now,” he said.

Pointing to two-party systems in more developed democracies, he said simpler political structures often led to more stability and clearer direction.

“In many countries, especially in Europe, you see only two main parties — Democrats and Republicans, Labour and Conservatives. The direction is clearer.”

Citing that when leaders focused on managing internal demands, Shafie highlighted the long-standing issue of youth out migration from Sabah as a result of when the ruling political leaders had gone astray. 

He added the state also failed to fully tap into its own resources and this had forced hundreds of thousands of Sabahans to seek work elsewhere.

“Nearly 300,000 of our children are earning a living in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, even in Hong Kong.”

 “Imagine our children, in a state so rich in resources, yet unable to earn a living in their own homeland. They could stay close to their families — but we must first provide the necessary facilities here,” he said. 

Shafie said that instead of catering to political demands, the government should prioritise real issues — such as jobs, water, electricity, housing, education and healthcare.

“What unites the people here are their actual needs — not political deals. That’s what matters,” he said. – March 22, 2025