KUCHING: The old adage of ‘old wine in a new bottle’ should apply to Pakatan Harapan (PH) and not Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
Refuting PH critics, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said GPS was poles apart compared to the previous state Barisan Nasional (BN).
In fact, GPS could be likened more to a “freshly brewed wine in a new bottle,” he said.
“We are in a new outfit with an independent outlook and new sets of rules governing the coalition,” he said in an exclusive interview with the New Sarawak Tribune.
“You must remember that we were once under the Barisan leadership when they were in the old bottle. Now they (Pakatan Harapan) have got a new bottle but still the same old wine.”
He was commenting on accusations labelling GPS to the old proverb.
“They should not look at us that way. Otherwise, what does that make of Pakatan? If you go deeply, PH is worse and is better suited to it (the adage).
“You must remember that we were once under the Barisan leadership when they were in the old bottle. Now they (Pakatan Harapan) have got a new bottle but still the same old wine,” he lamented.
Johari said there was no denying that GPS components were that of the former state BN.
But, component parties aside, GPS was totally on its own and not tied up with any party in Putrajaya as was the case during the BN rule.
“Under BN, anything Sarawak wanted to do we would have to obtain the prior endorsement of the other BN component parties at the federal level.
“Everything would have to be by consensus. As such whatever the component parties at the federal level wanted to implement, we would then have to also abide by them due to the consensus,” he said.
He said this put Sarawak and its leaders at a disadvantage.
“Because of this, many of the state’s rights had eroded,” he added.
Under GPS, he said the component had decided to do away with the consensus and introduced a new regulation whereby the coalition would go ahead with any proposal so long as three-quarters or more of its component members agreed (to the proposal),” he disclosed.
On another development, Johari said efforts by the state to attract Sarawak professionals working abroad to come back and serve the state had borne fruits.
“We are not saying all the professionals. But there are already many professionals, especially in the medical sector, coming back to serve the state.
“Most of them are doctors serving in Singapore and they are coming back to serve the state.
“That probably explains why we now have so many private hospitals operating in Kuching alone. In fact, another one is coming up soon,” he added.
Johari also said many engineers from Sarawak who were working abroad had also returned home.
“They are coming back because of the many projects that are being planned in Sarawak,” he said.
