KANOWIT: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has assured that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will continue to fight for Sarawak rights, in line with its ‘Sarawak First’ slogan.
“We will continue to fight for Sarawak rights, for the needs of Sarawakians and for better Sarawak.
“Hence, we left. That’s why we left Barisan Nasional (BN)… because when we were with BN, we got a lesson…which was the voice was ‘sebulat suara‘. And the decision to leave BN and form GPS was made in the interest of the people and Sarawak above all else,” he said.
He was speaking at the launch of GPS Zone 11 roadshow and Kanowit district utility project in Kanowit on Saturday.
According to Abang Johari, GPS was formed because Sarawak must stand on its own.
Being Sarawak-based, GPS is the best political platform for Sarawak to move forward politically, socially and economically.
“This is the best platform for us to decide on our own because the coalition is not subject to any political master from outside. We can defend Sarawak’s rights and develop the state in our own ways,” he stressed.
Abang Johari, who is GPS chairman, noted that when the component parties of GPS — Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB), Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) — were in Barisan Nasional before — they could not do much because every decision was made based on consensus.
He lamented that when it was based on consensus the Sarawak-based parties could not prevail over the other parties in Malaya because they were the majority.
He reiterated that the formation of GPS empowers the leaders and the Sarawak government to serve the people better in line with the aspirations and fulfilling the desires of the people of Sarawak.
“Now we have our own voice. We have our own ways of developing our own land and our state for the prosperity of all Sarawakians.
“We are standing on our own feet, we can decide on our own, we can speak with boldness and without fear regarding our rights under the MA63,” he said.
Also present at the roadshow were Deputy Chief Ministers Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing and Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, SUPP vice president Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing, PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, GPS secretary-general Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, Kanowit Member of Parliament Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, Ngemah assemblyman Alexander Vincent and Machan assemblyman Allan Siden Gramong.
