PAPAR, SABAH, MALAYSIA Nov 8, 2025 – Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali dismissed accusations from Parti Warisan leaders that he should stick to his ministerial role rather than targeting the opposition, calling the upcoming Sabah state election a “democratic fiesta” where all sides get their shots in.
In a fiery video address titled “Sejarah Lompat Politik Sabah” (The History of Party-Hopping in Sabah Politics), Armizan defended his pointed social media jabs as factual and accountable, contrasting them with what he portrayed as the opposition’s hypocrisy on the contentious issue of elected representatives switching parties—or “lompat parti.” “This is election season. You’ve been attacking us for ages even before dissolution—now let me hitch a ride and fire back,” he quipped. “Besides, I don’t use fake accounts. I speak under my own name, based on facts, not lies. I take responsibility for every word. If you think I’m deceiving, respond. If it’s slander, sue me.”
Armizan’s monologue dissected the long-standing narrative that his Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition is a haven for political turncoats, flipping the script to question Warisan’s own record. He labeled the 2018 state crisis—where mass defections toppled the incumbent government without a ballot—as “tragic,” noting how Warisan’s then-President Shafie Apdal ascended to Chief Minister by welcoming defectors from rival parties, bypassing the sitting leader’s resignation. “That same Chief Minister, empowered by those hoppers, told the State Assembly his government had no plans for an anti-hopping law—it went against democratic principles,” Armizan said with a laughing emoji, underscoring the irony.
The minister stressed accountability extends beyond defectors to those who “entice, lure, and accept” them. He touted GRS’s legislative milestone: the 2023 anti-hopping amendment to Sabah’s constitution, tabled by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor. “Who brought the motion to the DUN to amend the constitution and bar elected reps from hopping? Hajiji and the GRS government!” Armizan declared.
He also swatted down another Warisan claim that he contested the 2022 general election under a rival party’s nomination form and logo. “Check with the Election Commission (SPR)—it’s not some fledgling outfit,” he retorted, citing Rule 11(2) of the Election (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1981. “My nomination was signed by Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji as GRS Chairman, and I ran under the GRS logo, submitted to the returning officer on nomination day. If unsatisfied, verify with SPR.”
Armizan wrapped with a pointed query on Warisan’s 2025 playbook: “In 2018, the Warisan President became Chief Minister after luring and accepting reps from other parties. What new tactics will they use to seize power again? Will they entice lawmakers from other parties—including the ‘National Party’—to back their President as CM? Cooperating with Parti Nasional in Sabah polls is already seen as compromising the state’s rights and interests.”
The remarks, delivered amid intensifying pre-election rhetoric, come as GRS mobilizes its machinery in key seats like Kawang, while Pakatan Harapan ramps up in urban strongholds like Tanjung Aru. With polls expected soon, Armizan’s broadside highlights persistent fault lines over political integrity, fiscal autonomy, and MA63 legacies—echoing UPKO leader Ewon’s recent Cabinet exit over Sabah’s 40% revenue claim.
As Sabah’s political temperature rises, Armizan’s call for scrutiny serves as both defense and provocation, reminding voters that the “democratic feast” includes settling old scores.
