KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) has chided Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) potential candidate for Pelagus Datuk Kristoffer Nyuak Bajok over his remarks on the Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s work visit to Kapit on June 10.
PRS Women chief Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Brodie said that Kristoffer’s statement was hearsay, adding that it was just a publicity stunt.
“As far as we know, he (Kristoffer) was not there. No PSB people were there.
“We also learnt that there was no huge crowd gathering. Apart from the chief minister’s entourage, only a handful of people were in the Town Square as the area was cordoned and no uninvited guests were present at the area,” she said today.
She pointed out that even PRS Women chiefs from Baleh and Pelagus divisions were not present, not out of disrespect but to adhere fully to the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“Thus we perceive that Kristoffer’s statement is a publicity stunt to gain political mileage,” she said.
On June 10, Abang Johari and a few of his Cabinet ministers went to Kapit to see for themselves how the food aid and the vaccination programme were being conducted or managed there considering that Kapit is among the few arreas badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It was done out of deep concern and commitment,” Doris pointed out.
Doris said that while in Kapit, Abang Johari sought to be briefed on the status of vaccination programme in Kapit by the Ministry of Health (MoH), while Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas himself was also present throughout the function and thus it was impossible to let loose adherence to SOPs before his scrutiny.
“While in Kapit, the chief minister also made a point to visit the field hospital, the first to have been set up in Sarawak. This was to see its efficacy. Other than the duty officials and Abang Johari’s entourage, there was no uninvited guest there,” she said.
She added Abang Johari also conducted a symbolic giving of a food basket where the food baskets were later taken only by the community leaders (tuai rumah or ketua kampung) of the specific longhouses or kampungs for the village folk.
“We also learn that the local enforcement team in Kapit were on hand to see that the SOPs were adhered to strictly at all times. On top of that, there were no public speeches, not even from the chief minister throughout the events,” she said.
