KOTA KINABALU: Six months into the year and the sickening aftertaste of Warisan’s brazen political somersault persists.
This foul aroma is the result of what has been dubbed ‘Langkah Kinabalu’ – Warisan’s jaw-dropping alliance with UMNO, its erstwhile enemy.
The spectacle of their cosiness is a repugnant sight for Sabahans who believed in Warisan’s once impassioned declaration of emancipating Sabah from UMNO’s grip.
The party’s vehement rhetoric of establishing a ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ now echoes hollowly, sounding like the cynical, empty promises of a two-faced political actor, ready to betray its own principles for the mere smell of power.
Even a child knows, you cannot claim to rid the house of rats while inviting them in for dinner.
Umno – specifically the faction led by its Sabah liaison chief Datuk Bung Moktar Radin – on the brink of being consigned to the annals of Sabah’s political history, has instead been gifted an undeserving lifeline by the very party that promised to be the vanguard of Sabah’s autonomy.
The irony is stomach-churning, a slap in the face of the aspirations of the people who desired genuine representation.
Compare this to the Sarawak example, where local parties rule the roost, and Sabah’s recent political development is all the more galling.
It is an affront to the very idea of Sabahan autonomy and self-determination that Warisan claimed to uphold.
In contrast, the GRS government, helmed by the vigilant Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, has consistently safeguarded Sabah’s constitutional rights amidst the ceaseless slander from Warisan.
The team, under his committed leadership, has persistently championed the rights of Sabah with unwavering integrity and dignity, transcending the political quagmire.
Their actions have demonstrated their dedication.
While prioritising Sabah’s constitutional rights, the GRS government has also revitalised the economy.
The Sabah Maju Jaya halatuju, an ambitious development blueprint under the astute leadership of Hajiji, has managed to steer the Sabah economy back on track, despite the challenging global economic landscape.
Unlike Warisan’s political manoeuvres during their 27-month reign of terror, the GRS government has shown their dedication to the people of Sabah by prioritising economic stability and welfare over petty politics.
They understand that the real work of government isn’t about playing political chess but improving the lives of the people they serve.
Sabahans deserve nothing less.
This distasteful Warisan-UMNO alliance does not come out of the blue for those familiar with the murky waters of politics.
As political observers see it, Warisan’s drastic turn reeks of a desperate scramble for political relevance, even at the cost of its ideological soul.
As Sabahans, we must remain vigilant, never blinded by the fog of political charades.
Jalumin Bayogoh’s warning rings truer than ever: Beware the poison masked as sweet rhetoric. It is a lesson that Warisan has forced us to learn in the hardest way.
Amidst this nauseating political theatre, let’s not lose sight of what truly matters: the welfare of Sabah and its people.
It’s a message the GRS government has held fast to, proving that the rule of law and protection of constitutional rights should always be at the heart of governance.
As we navigate the bitterness of betrayal, let it galvanise us towards a more transparent, accountable, and ultimately, genuine representation.
For the taste of hypocrisy is one that Sabah deserves never to endure again.
