BY NEVILLE TIMOTHY SANDERS & ELLISIA TANGGAS
KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian is non-committal on whether or not Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will assist in campaigning in the upcoming state elections in Peninsular Malaysia.
Speaking to the reporters after witnessing the handover of medical equipment by the Japanese Embassy to Sarawak Family Planning Association at Grand Margherita hotel here on Tuesday (July 4), Dr Sim said it was not a good time to talk about politics.
“Here, we do not talk about the politics, instead we talk about family planning.
“Political matters can be discussed in a different forum, as it is not suitable for us to talk about it here, or else the Japanese government will no longer continue to invest in Sarawak,” he said while refusing any further comment on the matter.
On Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Patinggi Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed that he has held a discussion with secretary-general of GPS Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi about bringing over GPS top brass to assist in the election campaigns.
“We have discussed and reached an agreement. InsyaAllah, the GPS chairman and Premier (Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg) himself will choose (the state he will be visiting) and we will also select several states to focus on,” Zahid said.
He added that Sarawak should be taken as a good example of political stability under the leadership of Abang Johari, pointing out that this stability should be emulated at the national level.
With many issues being played out by different political parties, he said the people should learn from their counterparts in Sarawak to elect political parties that would collaborate with the federal government for further progress.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister cum Parliamentary chief whip of GPS, Datuk Sri Fadillah Yusof recently said that GPS would not be involved in the election campaigns during the upcoming state elections in Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.
