KUCHING: For Sarawak to defend its rights, the only way is to have its own people-Sarawakians in governing the State without having interference from Malaya, meaning to have its own independence.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Johari Tun Openg said that only Sarawak-based parties like Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is capable of leading the State because the parties know the matters closest to the heart of the people here.
“Therefore, to gain back our rights, we cannot be bounded by the Federal Government’s parliamentary whip anymore or else we will suffer,” said Johari during Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Zone Kuching Gawai Raya Gathering at Penview Convention Centre (PCC) here on Tuesday evening.
Aabang Johari who is also PBB Chairman said the State Barisan National (BN) saw the goodness and weakness of National BN, the weakness was to follow every decision made by the party leader and tied by National policies.
“If we do not follow, then we have to get out. And for that matter it was not good because it could not focus on policies related to State,” he said.
Johari who is also State Minister of Finance and Economic Planning said that was the reason why they left BN and formed GPS which comprised Sarawak-based political parties namely Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
“People have been mocking GPS by calling it ‘a malfunctioning Global Positioning System’. That’s fine, they can say whatever they want but we will proof to them that we can lead our ship to the right path.
“We did not lose in the last election actually; Sarawak won in fact with PBB winning 13 seats, the one who lost was the National BN,” he pointed out, adding that in 2016 Sarawak won 72 out of 82 seats during the late Tok Nan’s leadership.
He added that when PBB and other parties get stronger, GPS is confident it can lead Sarawak.
Abang Johari who is also Minister of Urban Development and Natural Resources said among the issues the State needs to really fight for is to fully gain back its Oil and Gas resources.
“We had won the first case against Petronas, if there is another fight on our resources, I will not stop and continue to fight what has been taken from us. When Sarawak’s resources are protected, the State will have full control on its revenue and that revenue will be used for rural and other developments.
“We waited ages for rural development funds from Malaya. But never mind, I have decided to use our State fund for these developments in areas with no water supply,” he said.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari said he had met Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad including other Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders and had discussed what the State’s issues are.
“We will support the Federal Government if their policies are good for the State. If it does not include the benefit of Sarawak, then what for?. But we have discussed and Tun M understands our needs, and PH will work with us,” he said.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring, Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali urged all PBB members to continue to stand strong and give their full support to the party.
“Despite the change of a new government, I am confident with experienced leaders in PBB, they are able to bring Sarawak to greater heights,” she said.
Also present were Petra Jaya MP Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Hajah Fatimah Abdullah, and Assistant Minister of Rural Electricity, Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi.
