KOTA KINABALU: Sindumin assemblyman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob is prepared for a legal fight with Parti Warisan which is threatening to sue 11 of its assemblymen for breach of contract when they defected from the party.
"Let them do it. (It's) Okay. This is a democracy," he said when asked about Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal’s statement that they were going to sue all its assemblymen who quit the party after the Sept 26, 2020, snap Sabah election.
Dr Yusof, who is Qhazanah Sabah chairman, said that Warisan had already sued Sebatik assemblyman Hassan Amir Gani but failed in its legal bid at the High Court.
"There is a precedent already. They have sued Sebatik (assemblyman). They lost the case in court," he told reporters during a press conference on Qhazanah Sabah’s plans here on Monday (July 17).
Dr Yusof believes Shafie was under pressure from grassroots members to pursue the case against the assemblymen who left the party.
"I think Datuk Seri is being pressured by those below him. Why don't you do it? Try lah... it’s okay," he said.
Before becoming candidates for Warisan, Dr Yusof said they signed pledges to be loyal to the party but didn’t sign any agreement to pay the party if they left.
Dr Yusof said that they did not sign any bonds with the party like what was done by PKR with Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin when they were candidates.
"We don't have any bond. They (Warisan) already lost their case," he added.
On Saturday (July 15), Shafie said that Warisan was pursuing breach of contract cases against all its 11 assemblymen who defected over the last two years.
The decision to take legal action was following the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision against Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin to pay RM10mil for breaching an election bond with PKR after she defected from the party in 2020.
Shafie said that the party was still appealing the case of Sebatik assemblyman Hassan in the courts.
The Warisan candidates had signed undated pre-signed letters to vacate their seats if they left the party.
The 11, who left the party over the last two years, kept their seats after they had informed the state assembly speaker that they were resigning when the pre-signed resignation letters were submitted by Warisan for their seats to be vacated.
Dr Yusof quit Warisan on Oct 8, 2021, before joining Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor earlier this year.
