KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal’s bid to be the first prime minister from either Sabah or Sarawak has ended after he failed to garner support from government MPs from the Borneo states.

       Shafie, who was hoping to be the sole candidate from the combined Opposition, bowed out of the race for Pakatan Harapan’s prime ministerial candidate yesterday and threw his support behind PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

       Shafie lamented the fact that Sarawak-based Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) parties did not come out to support someone from either Sabah or Sarawak for the prime minister’s post.

       According to party sources, the initial reasoning for Shafie as the Opposition’s prime minister candidate was that Anwar has not been able to increase the support from the Opposition side beyond 105 MPs.“We have been stagnant at 105 MPs. Despite Anwar’s claim he had the numbers, we could never cross that number since last year.

       “The Perikatan Nasional government of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin fell because of Umno’s withdrawal. Now it looks like they are all back together under the Perikatan network,” the source said.

       A senior party source said Warisan believed Shafie could help draw in “(government-aligned) MPs to our side”.

       When contacted, Shafie said he decided to step aside in the race for the prime minister’s post and confirmed that his bloc would support Anwar.

       “We agreed for Anwar to be the Opposition candidate for PM,” he said.

       Shafie said he was willing to be appointed to the number two post if Anwar manages to win the support of the majority of the MPs.

       GPS, which has 18 MPs, comprises Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and the Progressive Democratic Party.

       Perikatan MPs are expected to support Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the prime minister candidate.

       Yesterday was the deadline for 220 MPs to submit statutory declarations to Istana Negara on whom they support as prime minister.

       Shafie said that MPs who named their choice of candidate to become the prime minister would need to validate their support in Parliament.On the Opposition’s chances of success, he said it was working on it, but added that time was short.

       The combined Opposition bloc of MPs, which comprises Pakatan Harapan (88), Warisan (eight), Pejuang (four), Parti Sarawak Bersatu (two), Upko and Muda (one each) and Independent MP Maszlee Malik, make up a total of 105 MPs.

       Meanwhile, Upko president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau said the incoming prime minister must herald a new way of politics and work closely with the Opposition to ensure the focus remains on the country’s needs

       The Tuaran MP said no government could be stable with just 111 seats or a slightly higher number in the 222-member House.

       “Neither do we need a unity government if the price is a bloated Parliament or inter-ministry rivalry when parties that do not trust each other sit under the same roof,” he said in a statement yesterday.

       Madius said there was a need for the new prime minister and the government to sign the Confidence and Supply Agreements with the Opposition.

       This would ensure the government’s survival on the votes of confidence, budget, and royal speeches in exchange for fair treatment of the Opposition and due consideration of Opposition’s views in lawmaking and policy-making, he added.