Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal, who is also the Warisan president, said his party accepted the loss in the Kimanis by-election.

"The people have spoken and made their decision. We also take responsibility for our party candidate’s defeat in the by-election.

"Even though we were defeated, we will continue to serve, not only the people of Kimanis, but all Sabahans.

"At the same time, we will continue our efforts to improve the economy, education system and infrastructure development in Sabah," Shafie (photo) said in a statement today.

This is Shafie's first public statement on the by-election defeat last Saturday.

BN's Mohamad Alamin garnered 12,706 votes to defeat Warisan's Karim Bujang by a 2,029-vote majority.

This was an improvement from BN's 156-vote majority in the 2018 general election.

Shafie said there is a need to remain humble and continue to prioritise the people's interest regardless of race and religion.

He also thanked Warisan volunteers for assisting the party during the by-election.