KUCHING, Aug 7 ― Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) Women's wing today defended the decision of Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah in initiating legal action against state PKR information chief Venon Kedit for slander over native customary rights (NCR) land.
The wing's head Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said Uggah has the right to take legal action against anyone involved in character assassination against him.
“We do not condone any action or words used by politicians that are slanderous or defamatory aimed at character assassination as in the case here,” she said.
Fatimah, who is the state Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development, was responding to criticisms in social media against Uggah for demanding Kedit retract and apologise for his remarks deemed defamatory and slander.
Uggah also demanded Kedit pay him RM1 million for calling him “liar” and “traitor” to the Dayak community in connection with the recent amendments to the Sarawak Land Code on NCR land.
Kedit has refused to retract his remarks and apologise to Uggah.
Fatimah said politicians from both sides of the political divide must know it is not in the Sarawakian culture to be rude.
“We want peace to be maintained and people must always remain respectful of each other even when there are political differences,” she said.
She said the Women's wing does not welcome attitudes and behaviour that oversteps the boundaries such as racist remarks.
She added that during the administration of former chief minister, the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, many of those from peninsular Malaysia, who are known for making seditious statements which could inflamed others, were ban from the state.
Fatimah said Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will definitely have differences in opinions but they must always maintain respectability in their arguments as to why they are against a certain policy or decision of the government.
“Politicians must always act with decorum especially in what they say and do and show good example to our people especially the younger generation,” she added.
