LAHAD DATU, Nov. 5 -- Warisan President Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal defended the entry of some leaders from rival parties into Warisan as "not party-hopping but a growing wave of unity" among the people in Sabah.

He said allegations that Warisan is promoting party-hopping are baseless as the entry of these politicians took place after the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly when no government was in place.

He said the situation was completely different from instances where politicians switched parties while a government was still functioning, merely to gain positions or rewards.

"This is not party-hopping, this is a wave of Sabah unity. The assembly has been dissolved, there's no government.

"What we are doing is unite the ...