You don’t have to be Einstein to understand writing on the wall: Masing
KUCHING: It is rather ridiculous to let one’s position or fate decided by someone else.
This is a paraphrase of the words of Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri James Jemut Masing in response to a recent statement by Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh concerning his odd position in the Cabinet.
The awkwardness is mainly due to widespread public suspicion that having PSB within the gates of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is like having termites in a wooden house.
In his statement Wong said that he would seek advice from Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg on his impending resignation from the state Cabinet.
“It is ridiculous for him (Wong) to ask the chief minister to decide on his position,” Masing told reporters at a Gawai Dayak open house and ‘ngiling bidai’ event organised by Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) at the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) Hall yesterday.
Masing, who is also PRS president, said the writing has long been on the wall, but Wong refused to read it.
“When allocations for PSB’s minor rural projects (MRP) and minor rural transformation projects (MRTP) were cut, and when the CM spoke about not wanting any termites in Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), he (Wong) should have known.
“If he hadn’t known, then he has himself to blame,” he said.
Masing went on to say that PSB surely looked like it was the “termites” that GPS cannot afford to fester.
“Therefore, if PSB goes, it’s neither the time to feel sorry nor the time to be wasted. It’s time to clean the house,” Masing said.
“As the chief minister once said, ‘You touch one, you touch all’. In GPS, this means that if you disturb one of my boys, I’ll come after you.
“You don’t have to be Albert Einstein to understand that, and the writing has been on the wall, but they never wanted to read it,” he added.
Last Saturday, Wong who is Second Finance Minister and Minister of International Trade and E-Commerce, said during PSB’s annual delegates conference (ADC) that he would ask Abang Johari’s advice as to when and how he would leave the Cabinet.
“Whatever the decision, I will continue as PSB president without holding a Cabinet post,” he said.
Back in March 20 when launching Marudi Waterfront Project in Miri, Abang Johari, who is also GPS chairman, made it clear that he did not want “termites” in the ruling coalition.
“Termites can cause a house to collapse. When our house falls, that’s the end of us. I give priority to GPS as it is for our future.
“We cannot say, ‘Oh, I support Abang Jo’, but you try to ‘berlaga-laga dalam GPS’ (fight within GPS). We cannot tolerate that. The struggle must be based on principle.”
