KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has apologised to the people if a speech he made at a recent ceramah sounded like he had insulted the Chinese community.
The Parti Warisan president said that he had no intention to do so, adding that he was only venting his frustrations over how the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-Barisan Nasional treated the Chinese community.
He said he was only making a point that there was not even one Chinese minister in the GRS-Barisan state Cabinet compared to the state government led by Warisan previously when it had four Chinese ministers.
“So sorry, I was a bit emotional. I actually mentioned about no Chinese becoming ministers (in the GRS-Barisan state government).
“If that has been misinterpreted, I apologise if it seems to be insulting but there was no intention in my heart at all,” he said when met at a ceramah in the interior Tenom district on Wednesday (Nov 16).
Shafie was campaigning for Warisan’s Ukim Buandi who is in a five-way fight for the Tenom seat.
A 21-second video clip has been making the rounds in social media alleging Shafie had insulted the Chinese community by using the word “satu ekor” during his speech in Putatan here on Monday (Nov 14).
The video showed Shafie telling the crowd not to be fooled by the GRS government, saying “GRS satu ekor Cina pun tiada menteri (there’s not even a single Chinese in the GRS government)".
In clarifying further his speech on Wednesday, Shafie said he had always been fair to all races.
“You have seen I’ve been very consistent fighting for all races irrespective of who they are whether they are Chinese, Indians, Malays, Ibans, Muruts, Kadazans or Dusuns
“We are here to serve the country and the people,” said the former chief minister.
At the same time, he noted his detractors were quick to pounce on the matter in order to twist it in their favour.
“They don’t have any issue so they just speak out (on the Chinese issue),” Shafie said.
