KUCHING: Malaya-based parties expect Sarawakians to toe their lines or ideologies, but they do not reciprocate by prioritising the needs of the state.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth chief Datuk Snowdan Lawan stated this on Wednesday (Sept 22) when expressing strong support for Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah’s recent statement.
Abdul Karim has said that Perikatan Nasional (PN) Sarawak and other Malaya-based political parties must respect the wish of Sarawakians to be governed by a local party or coalition of parties.
Snowdan said that local parties have more “sense of ownership” towards their own state compared to outside parties.
“It is only fair that local parties look after our political situations. We are inclined to be protective and we don’t like Malayan parties to meddle in our affairs,” he said.
He also noted that PN has reportedly set up a liaison office in Sarawak with a new line-up of office bearers.
“This looks more like a planned manoeuvre and a direct attempt to destabilise the ‘locus standi’ of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) structure which could be considered a threat to PN in the coming 15th general election (GE15),” he said.
Snowdan, who is also Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports and Balai Ringin assemblyman, noted that when PN was formed, they expected GPS to support them.
“So we did, and by being friendly we hoped for the formation of a stable government though we were not formally part of the coalition.
“In reciprocation, we also expect PN to support and respect our decision to contest in all 82 state seats in Sarawak,” he said.
He said the GPS state government also aimed to pursue the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) agenda more vigorously, adding that unity and development were the priorities in Sarawak.
