Abang Jo given mandate to decide if GPS will accept Cabinet appointments, whip says

KUCHING, March 2  — Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg has been given the mandate to decide if Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) should accept Cabinet ministerial appointments in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal government, GPS chief whip Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said today.

He said the mandate was given in a meeting between the GPS leadership and MPs in Kuala Lumpur last night.

However, he said GPS would not be be part of PN, but will continue to be a local political entity and not a component of any coalition.

“At this moment, GPS does not have any plan to hold discussions on the Cabinet appointments,” Fadillah, who is also Petra Jaya MP, said in a statement.

He also dismissed claims by state DAP and PKR that GPS supported Umno and PAS to form the PN federal government as attempts to scare the people of Sarawak.

He said such claims have no basis because the GPS was only requested to choose the candidates for prime minister, and not to form any coalition with Umno and PAS.

“Perhaps, the DAP and PKR have forgotten that they used to work together with PAS in Pakatan Rakyat before, while GPS is a local political entity in Sarawak which is not participating in any coalition,” he said.

Fadillah said the political turmoil started by the DAP and PKR as they were not consistent with their support for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but instead backing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the prime minister.

He said the competition for power in Pakatan Harapan is the cause of the political turmoil and that they should not blame anyone else.

Fadillah said GPS responded to the call by Yang di-Pertuan Agong for all political parties to express their views and to state their opinions in solving the political crisis which have continued over the past week, causing uncertainty and affecting the economy.

He said the crisis is now over with the appointment of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the new prime minister by the King.

“All quarters must respect the decision of the Yang diPertuan Agong which was made through the constitutional process in solving the political crisis,” Fadillah said.