KUCHING: There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics, a Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) vice-president said on Monday.
Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah was responding to Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) chief Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh’s reaction to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s recent description of PSB as a party for the ‘problem’ bunch.
Abdul Karim said Abang Johari’s remark about the opposition party was merely a ‘natural response’ from the PBB president towards the opposition party’s verbal attacks on Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders.
“It is understandable. It will cool down after the state election,” he said when contacted by New Sarawak Tribune on Monday (Sept 7).
The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister said he was pretty sure both Abang Johari and Wong had high regards for one another as both were colleagues in the state Cabinet before.
“Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim were the prime minister and deputy prime minister respectively at one time.
“They became bitter enemies and one of them ended up in jail. Later they became close friends again and together fought the Barisan Nasional in the last general election.
“The same thing happened between DAP and PAS. They were once ‘bed partners’ in Pakatan Rakyat, but they later went separate ways and are now hurling insults at each other,” he said, citing a few examples.
Abdul Karim was responding to Wong’s statement published on a local daily, firing back at Abang Johari over his remark.
Last Saturday at the PBB northern regional mini convention in Miri, Abang Johari had said PSB leaders had a history of public disputes with GPS component presidents before leaving to form the new party.
