KUCHING, March 8 — Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) today urged Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg to punish those who want to destabilise the state ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
Its president Tan Sri James Masing said they should not be encouraged disharmony in the coalition.
He said stealing lawmakers from another party was a practice inherited from Barisan Nasional (BN) and now it has extended to GPS.
“It is better for a new political organisation like GPS to start afresh and nip this problem in the bud and finish it once and for all,” Masing, who is also the deputy chief minister, said.
Earlier today, the chief minister said cases of MPs like PRS vice president Datuk Masir Kujat crossing over to Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) were an inherited problem.
He said he would try to find a solution to the problem by talking to Masing and PSB president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh.
Masir, who is also Sri Aman MP, joined PSB yesterday, along with former PRS deputy president Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun and former Lubok Antu MP Datuk William Nyallau Badak.
Separately, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) urged GPS to severe ties with PSB, including stripping its leaders of ministerial and political appointments.
Its secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting said PSB was never a “friendly” party to GPS.
“We would like to reiterate that PSB has never been friendly to BN then and now GPS. PSB then was only friendly to PBB, even though they said they were friendly to BN and now GPS,” Ting said in a statement.
“Their press statement yesterday was even worse, as they only pledged loyalty to one person only, namely the Chief Minister of Sarawak.
“The name PBB was not even mentioned at all,” Ting said, adding that any attack against a fellow GPS component party must be seen and be taken as an attack against GPS as a whole.
“At least they (PSB) are now slightly honest to say they are loyal to our chief minister only and did not continue to say they are GPS friendly.
“It is laughable if one day in the near future they announce and tell the whole world that they are GPS friendly again,” Ting said.
