IN an eleventh-hour about-turn before the 2pm deadline for political parties/coalitions to submit the name of their desirable 10th Malaysian prime minister (PM), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has seemingly put in the backburner its earlier decision to form the next federal government with the PAS-dominant Perikatan Nasional (PN).
GPS said it will now leave it to the wisdom of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to decide who should be Malaysia’s next PM but fell short of admitting if its latest decision was in any way prompted by Sarawakians who overwhelmingly opposed its move to forge an alliance with PN.
“Previously, GPS came up with a proposal for the formation of a federal government comprising PN, BN (Barisan Nasional), GPS and GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) which will represent the Malaysian society consisting of various ethnic and religious groups,” the coalition stated in a media statement.
“In view of the political crisis in Peninsular Malaysia, GPS’s position is that the people’s mandate must be respected.”
The ‘sombre mood’ of its latest media statement is a stark contrast from its Sunday’s (Nov 20) overzealous sounding announcement whereby the coalition even nominated PN’s chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as a PM candidate.
That the coalition has seemingly distanced itself from the Bersatu president may lift the chances for the formation of a unity government alongside Pakatan Harapan (PH) who was the clear winner of Saturday’s (Nov 19) 15th General Election (GE15) with 82 seats (as opposed to PN’s 73) but still short of clinching the 112-seat simple majority.
In the words of the Dayak National Congress president Paul Raja, the party would expect GPS to be more honourable and sensible to accept that a PAS-led federal government is a no go for GPS “if the party treasures the status and harmony in Malaysia as whole”.
“I have a sense of trepidation when I read that GPS is vigorously pursuing a coalition with PN (consisting of PAS and Bersatu), BN and GRS. This is even when they are in the minority group,” opined Raja in a statement.
“What makes me anxious is that GPS is crawling to PN just to be in the government. Muhyiddin is a bigot and he just had disparaged the Christian community of Malaysia falsely accusing them and the Jews of planning to Christianise the Malaysia if PH wins.”
With prospect of PH forging an alliance with UMNO having reached a stand-still with its president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi both facing internal pressure to resign after BN’s dismal performance in GE15 and not to collaborate with PH at any cost, the latest twist of event seems to work to PH’s advantage.
While PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who had only late yesterday (Nov 21) extended an invitation to GPS to weigh the prospect of forging an alliance can now relish his ambition to become Malaysia’s 10th PM, the ultimate question is whether the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah would think like his fellow subjects? – Nov 22, 2022
