KUCHING, May 5 — Sarawakians have been called on to remain united under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to enable the coalition to win all 31 seats during the next parliamentary election.
In making the call, Premier of Sarawak and GPS chairman Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said such unity is necessary for Sarawak to have a strong voice.
“We must have one strong voice from Sarawak and that one voice should be demonstrated through GPS’s victory.
“If possible, we must win all the 31 seats in Sarawak in the coming general election,” he said during the Gedong Ramah Tamah today.
According to him, with one voice, the state government would be able to negotiate more effectively for the return of Sarawak’s rights under the tenets of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and the Federal Constitution.
“We don’t want more than that and we also don’t want less.
“It must be based on whatever is written in the provisions of the Malaysian constitution,” he said.
He noted that Sarawak will always play a role in strengthening Malaysia as a nation.
He opined that if Malaysia is strong, Sarawak too will be strong, and if Sarawak is strong, Malaysia would be strong as well.
“Therefore, we have no intention of fighting. Our intention is to strengthen the friendship.
“And for that, Sarawak must strengthen itself so that we can help the nation and others.
“For example, we are now helping to send our electricity power to Sabah, Brunei, and Kalimantan because we are able to help,” he said.
GPS comprises Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
In the previous parliamentary election, the then Sarawak Barisan Nasional won 19 parliamentary seats in Sarawak via PBB (13 seats), SUPP (one), PRS (three seats), and PDP (two).
Sri Aman MP Datuk Masir Kujat from PRS later joined Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), but quit the party in March and declared his support as an independent for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. — Borneo Post
