PERHAPS it’s time for peninsula Malaysia to stay out of East Malaysian politics come the 15th General Election (GE15)? A Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leader has told Perikatan Nasional (PN) to not have intentions of fielding a candidate against the coalition come GE15.
Although stating it was PN’s right to contest any seat in the country, the GPS leader had warned the coalition that it would be going against all four parties of the Sarawak coalition should it contest against any of them.
The leader, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah who is a vice-president in GPS’s Parti Pesaka Bersatu (PBB), said his personal view was to leave Sarawak alone.
“My advice to PN is to refrain from contesting in Sarawak. Any good deed will go a long way in strengthening future cooperation between GPS and PN. Don’t be friendly with GPS only on the surface but unfriendly behind us.” he was quoted as saying in FMT.
He was firm in his stance after Sarawak PN Youth chief Alexander Frusis was quoted as saying the coalition would contest for several parliamentary seats in GE15 but would not clash with PBB.
The politician was also confident that GPS candidates will have another landslide victory in the upcoming general election stating his confidence came from the previous state election where GPS won 76 out of the 82 seats which is a testament of Sarawakians’ acceptance towards the local-based political parties rather than those in peninsular Malaysia.
“I cannot foresee how the next general election will turn out to be but I strongly believe, as far as I am concerned, our homegrown parties will be able to sweep all the seats that will be contested.
“Political parties from Peninsular Malaysia have too much propaganda and they are doing too much politicking over there while quarrelling among each other.
“Well, it is up to them and we will always be there to watch them argue and in the end be the one to stabilise the federal government,” he was quoted as saying in a Sarawak Tribune report.
Sarawakians have always been in favour of their own candidates and elected representatives and having an outsider take on their politics is a big no. – Oct 19, 2022
Main photo credit: Bernama
