KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) will be submitting the letter of oath, pledging loyalty to the party and promising to resign for switching allegiance or become an independent assemblyman pre-signed by Sebatik assemblyman, Hassan A. Gani Pg. Amir on September 10, 2020.
Hassan allegedly broke his oath when he was reported to have announced his departure from Warisan to become an independent assemblyman on February 25.
Warisan Sabah President, Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Shafie Apdal said that the party will be handing over the letter to the Sabah State Speaker Datuk Kadzim Yahya and copies to Sabah Governor Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin as well as the Election Commission.
“We will submit the letter very soon, first to the State Assembly and a copy to the governor and the EC (Election Commission). We will pursue this. Tomorrow or the day after, it will be submitted,” he said.
The aim of this, said Shafie, was to vacate the Sebatik State Assembly seat and pave the way for a by-election.
“We will see how it is because under the law, once a person hands over or the party hands over the letter of resignation, they should respect that because he signed it in front of lawyers and witnesses, willingly, with no force or inducement. So, it should be considered a valid letter under the interpretation of the law.
“I think he has forgotten that he took the pledge willingly and voluntarily in front of us and lawyers,” Shafie added.
He also explained that all candidates for the election from Warisan took the pledge of loyalty to the party.
Speaking to reporters during a press conference held at Wisma Kolombong, Shafie also informed that up until now, the party has yet to receive his resignation letter.
“Not yet, but (there is) the letter that he signed and pledged in front of our lawyers willingly.
Shafie also said that Hassan has failed to inform him or anyone else in the party.
“We lost contact. I try to text him. The moment he jumped he is still Warisan,” he said.
However, in terms of legal interpretation, Shafie said that the party will ascertain how it will be.
“I will talk to the lawyers,” he said.
And if Hassan decided to return to the party, Shafie assured that Warisan will make sure that things are in the right footing and again noted that the matter will be discussed with the party’s legal team.
