Heritage Party (Malaysia)

The Heritage Party (Malay: Parti Warisan, WARISAN) is a multiracial political party in Malaysia which was rebranded and renamed from the Sabah Heritage Party (Malay: Parti Warisan Sabah), a Sabah-based party led by Shafie Apdal formed earlier on 17 October 2016 after its expansion into national level politics at the end of 2020.

History

Warisan formed an electoral alliance with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the 2018 general election (GE14). Party president Shafie Apdal promised that the party would be represented in the federal cabinet should PH be elected to power, adding that through the electoral pact, the party would only cooperate with instead of joining the coalition. The party soon became part of the ruling government following Pakatan Harapan's victory in the general election. However, Warisan returned to the opposition in April 2021 following the fall of the PH government.

During the 2020 Sabah state election, the state ruling party was defeated by the informal Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state opposition coalition consisting of the federal ruling Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional, and the United Sabah Party. Warisan failed to secure a simple majority to retain the state power, allowing the GRS coalition to form a new state government. Following the 2020 election, Warisan became the largest opposition party within the Sabah Legislative Assembly, and the outgoing Chief Minister, party president Shafie Apdal, became the new Leader of the Opposition in Sabah.

At the party's annual general meeting on 12 December 2020, members voted in favour of elevating the party from a state-based party into a national party, aiming to represent East Malaysia within the national decision-making. Following this announcement, the party was renamed into the Heritage Party (Parti Warisan).

Warisan officially began its expansion into Peninsula Malaysia on 17 December 2021 with the launch of its peninsular chapter, which would be collaborating with MUDA. At the same event, Shafie also hinted that a Peninsular Malaysian assemblyman would be joining the party. On 22 January 2022, Bryan Lai Wai Chong, the Selangor assemblyman for Teratai joined the party to become its first peninsular assemblyman, followed two days later by Law Heng Kiang, a former Penang assemblyman for Batu Lancang, and former Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi. In February 2022, UMNO's former Kukup assemblyman, Suhaimi Salleh, joined the party to become its Johor elections coordinator in the 12 March state election.

On 15 February 2022, Warisan announced that they would contest in the 2022 Johor state election as a test of the party's support in the Peninsula. Besides Suhaimi Salleh, Warisan also recruited former Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) Central Working Committee (CWC) member Datuk Seri S. Sunther, son of ex-MIC Vice President Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam, as well as former GERAKAN Johor Women's Chief Wong Siew Poh to assist the party in the election. Eventually, candidates from Warisan contested in 6 of the 56 state assembly seats on offer, but failed to win any of the seats.

In the 2025 Sabah state election, Warisan won 25 seats, coming close behind GRS both in seat count and vote share. Part of its support came from ethnic Chinese voters shifting from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), with Warisan winning all six seats previously held by the DAP.

Organisational structure

• President : Shafie Apdal
• Deputy President : Ignatius Dorell Leiking
• Vice-President : Jaujan Sambakong Junz Wong Terrence Siambun Daud Yusof
• Secretary-General : Loretto Damien Padua
• Secretary-Executive : Aliasgar Basri
• Information Chief : Azis Jamman
• Treasurer-General : Azhar Matussin
• Wanita Chief : Norfaizah Chua
• Wira Chief : Terence Au Soo Fui
• Wirawati Chief : Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis
• Supreme Council Members : Chen Ket Chuin Mudi Dubing Ahmad Hassan Mohd Zinin Adong Ajak Mazliwati Abdul Malek Chua Honorsius Joseph Alfred Bosuin Dr. Charles Ebbie Ma'mun Sulaiman Ahmad Shah Tambakau YB Sarifuddin Hata YB Arunarnsin Taib Japar Awang Mahadi Mumin Aidi Moktar Mohd Taib Isai Rozman Isli YB Assaffal Samsul Kamal YB Calvin Chong Ket Kiun YB Justin Wong Yung Bin Siti Aminah Jennifer Lasimbang
• National Coordinator : Dr Rajiv Bhanot
• State Coordinator : Perlis : Abdul A'zib Saad Kedah : Fadzil Hanafi Kelantan : Khairul Azuan Kamaruddin Penang : Jeff Ooi Perak : Sunther Subramaniam Selangor : Lai Wai Chong Negeri Sembilan : Azman Idris Malacca : Ng Choon Koon Johor : Suhaimi Salleh Labuan : Rozman Isli

Elected representatives

Dewan Negara (Senate)

Senators

• His Majesty's appointee:

Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives)

Warisan has 3 MPs in the House of Representatives.

Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly)

Sabah State Legislative Assembly

Government offices

Ministerial posts

State governments

• Sabah (2018–2020)

Note: bold as Premier/Chief Minister, italic as junior partner

Official opposition

Election results

General election results

State election results

Notes

See also

• Parti Impian Sabah (similar party)

External links

• on Facebook