KUCHING: Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen was given ‘a taste of his own medicine’ for calling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) ‘naïve and ridiculous’ to want to work with Umno and PAS in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.
Telang Usan assemblyman Denis Ngau said it is Chong who is being naïve and ridiculous because “being a hard core opposition MP from a hard core opposition party”, Chong either does not or refuses to understand the position enjoyed by GPS.
“What he fails or refuses to understand is that GPS is a four-party coalition that rules Sarawak on its own. It does not rule Sarawak with Perikatan Nasional (PN) because it is not a component member of PN.
“In this sense, GPS is not what DAP is to Penang where it rules the state together with PKR because DAP is a member of PH,” Denis said in a statement made available here yesterday.
According to Denis, DAP being a Malayan party, Chong has no choice but to serve his Malayan masters.
“It is because of this — because Chong belongs to a Malayan party and therefore must serve his Malayan masters — he is under the mistaken belief that because GPS is represented in Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s Cabinet, he thinks that GPS is contracted to PN much like he is tied hands and legs to DAP and PH.
“No, GPS is not a prisoner of PN because the GPS-Muhyiddin understanding is that GPS is represented in Muhyiddin’s Cabinet because Muhyiddin is duly appointed to the premiership by the Agong to steer the country out of a crisis,” Denis said.
He further said that GPS supported Muhyiddin’s government, which he calls the Perikatan Nasional government, because GPS does not believe a government with the DAP inside is and will be good for Sarawak.
“On the contrary, all it took was 22 months for DAP to prove itself to be the enemy of GPS as during that time they caused Sarawak and GPS much pain and suffering, cancelling, suspending and reducing approved development funds and projects.
“On top of that, Lim, the secretary general of DAP, showed no respect for the leaders of this state. It is this unwieldy trait that Chong has been displaying all along — a trait he learns from being a member of a Malayan party,” Denis said.
The assemblyman said Chong must understand that GPS does not believe in DAP, therefore, it does not believe in politicians like Lim and Chong, which is why when Chong begged for GPS’ cooperation to keep DAP in power, GPS instantly rejected his plea.
On Chong’s supposition that GPS would have to listen to Umno and PAS in its policy decision, Denis said, “Chong can rest assured, Sarawak is ruled 100 percent by GPS. It’s unlike Penang which is jointly ruled by DAP and PKR.
Sarawak needs only to consult itself on how to administer the state. Of course, Sarawak will not have to consult DAP because DAP is not and never will be our friend.
“If Chong thinks that by being part of Muhyiddin’s government in Putrajaya, Sarawak will kow-tow to Umno and PAS, Chong is led to believe along that line because he has always been treated like a buffalo led by its nose by his Malayan masters.
“No, GPS will not be treated by Umno and PAS like Chong is being treated by the Lims or PH chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Why? Because GPS comes into the PN Cabinet on the clear understanding that we are there to prop the PN government against the threats of PH! We are there because we want to ensure DAP will not control Putrajaya like it did for 22 months until it fell on Feb 23.
“GPS will remain with the government in Putrajaya for as long as it takes to keep DAP in the opposition.”
On Chong’s contention that GPS is a party to ‘the scandalous corrupt practices of Umno’, Denis said, “Chong can say what he wants about 1MDB and the like. We can well understand that he can’t stop that obsession of his because if he does, it will be the space cases like the controversial bungalow purchase and Penang undersea tunnel need to break his trend of thought.
“Chong, enjoy your obsession while it lasts because whether you like it or not, PH has its fair share of controversies that will make for many sleepless nights.”
