Sukau state assemblyperson Saddi Abdul Rahman today announced that he has joined the ruling Parti Warisan Sabah.

Saddi has been an independent assemblyperson after he quit Umno on Aug 1.

At a press conference in Sandakan today, Saddi said he will hand over his Warisan membership form to party president and Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal soon.

Saddi said he met Shafie recently and expressed his desire to join Warisan and the chief minister agreed to accept him into the party.

“No conditions were imposed on my joining Warisan. I only want to focus on development in the Sukau constituency and the welfare of the constituents.

“Remaining as an independent assemblyperson will deny me the opportunity to fulfil the people’s wishes expressed during the last general election,” he said.

Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Arifin Asgali, who is also a Warisan supreme council member, and Warisan Kinabatangan division chief Mahmod Tahsan were also present at the press conference.

In the 14th general election in May, Saddi won the Sukau seat for Umno with a majority of 1,628 votes, defeating three other candidates from Warisan, Parti Harapan Rakyat and Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah.

Saddi apologised to his former comrades in the BN coalition if they were disappointed with his decision to cross over to Warisan.

“Any action that I take will have its pros and cons. In politics, there are no permanent friends or foes. What remains is the struggle for the people,” he said.

Saddi said that during the past few months as an independent assemblyperson, he had been drawn to the vision of Warisan led by Shafie with its policy of championing all the people of Sabah regardless of their political, religious and ethnic beliefs.

– Bernama