KUCHING: Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg stressed the importance of political stability in addressing Malaysia’s economic hurdles, urging politicians not to destabilise the federal unity government.
The Premier said politicians should “stop creating so many problems” for the 14-month-old government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
His remarks come in response to reports of opposition leaders meeting in Dubai in December 2023 to discuss strategies against the Anwar administration.
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), which has 23 seats in the 222-member Parliament, has been courted by both Anwar and his rival, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Speaking to Bloomberg recently, Abang Johari reiterated Sarawak’s commitment to a stable federal government, regardless of the ruling party.
Since the resignation of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak after the 2018 election, Malaysia has witnessed prime ministers lasting less than two years on average.
Moody’s Investors Service echoed Abang Johari’s concerns about the economic impact of the political turmoil.
In a report dated Jan 16, Moody’s cautioned that entrenched concerns about the stability of the unity government risked fostering negative investor perceptions of the country’s political risks, which may impede the country’s long-term economic competitiveness.
The turmoil has burdened Malaysia’s currency, with the ringgit emerging as the worst performing currency among emerging markets in Asia since the start of 2023.
The currency has continued its decline in 2024, depreciating by 2.9 per cent against the dollar in January.
In the Bloomberg interview, Abang Johari said he was staisfied with the prime minister’s way of handling of Sarawak’s demands and requests, citing the successful transfer of the Bintulu port to the state and the support for Sarawak’s acquisition of MASwings, a move that will establish Sarawak as the first Malaysian state with its own airline.
He also stressed the need for stabilised airfares to encourage travel to Borneo.
“The airline is a strategic asset for the state, which wants to see stabilised airfares to help boost travel to Borneo, an island divided between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
“We are an island; you have to fly. If we don’t stabilise the price, then we are in a difficult situation,” he added.
Sarawak is also poised to finalise a deal for its bank aimed at bolstering local small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“Sarawak used to have banks. Then they were all absorbed into bigger, centralised banking groups. We don’t have a banking instrument to boost our local businesses,” he said.
Affin Bank, identified as a potential partner for Sarawak, has scheduled a special briefing with the premier in Kuala Lumpur on January 30. The bank is primarily controlled by the Armed Forces Pension Fund.
Abang Johari had also announced plans to provide free tertiary education for Sarawakians attending state-owned universities starting in 2026, addressing poverty in rural areas, where rates remain persistently high.
As the son of Sarawak’s first Governor, Abang Johari has played a role in every administration since 1982.
Despite his significant influence in national politics, he has never actively pursued a formal position in the federal government.
In 2018, following the historic collapse of federal power by the-then ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, Abang Johari swiftly led his Sarawak-based alliance out of BN, rebranding it as a regional force with a strong “Sarawak First” theme.
Under his leadership, the GPS coalition now commands 76 out of 82 state assembly seats, a remarkable achievement not attained even by Sarawak’s longest-serving chief minister and later the seventh governor Tun Pehin Abdul Taib Mahmud, during his 33-year tenure.
While Taib’s administration focused on heavy industries, logging, and fossil fuels, Abang Johari’s government is steering the state towards new energy sources, talent attraction, and reducing reliance on forestry.
Reflecting on the differences in their eras, he remarked, “His time is different, my time is different,” in reference to Taib, who retired at the age of 87 last week.
