KUCHING: A Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) grassroots leader has been taken to task for his “speculative statement” jibe.
“It is not a speculative statement but a statement made in defence of the state’s rights,” said councillor Luke Piee Joheng.
Piee was referring to a news report in which Mas Gading PKR deputy chairman Francis Teron Kadap said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing was making a “speculative statement” in his response to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s version of One Malaysia.
Teron defended the One Malaysia concept propagated by Dr Mahathir as “merely a slogan to foster better integration amongst the three territories namely Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.”
Piee, who is Tasik Biru Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) vice-chairman, said as just a grassroots leader by his own admission, Teron cannot claim to be privy to what Dr Mahathir said.
“Teron cannot be too sure because he is just interpreting. Any other grassroots leaders can also come up with their own interpretations.
“The difference between Teron and Masing is Teron interprets to please himself whereas Masing is being careful because it concerns the future of Sarawak,” Piee said.
Piee further said Masing, who is PRS president, warned about the dangers of the prime minister’s version of One Malaysia, which received the support of Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.
“Surely between Teron and Mukhriz, Mukhriz is a better person to be privy to the prime minister, and it was Mukhriz who told Parliament it is ridiculous for Malayans to use passports to enter Sarawak,” Piee said.
Piee, who admits to being a distant relative of Teron, said, knowing Teron’s political interest, he could well understand why the Mas Gading PKR deputy chairman took a dig at Masing.
“Teron badly wants to look good to the Pakatan Harapan (PH) leadership because he wants to be their candidate in the coming state election.
“By making that statement, he hopes to draw the attention of the PH leadership to himself.
“He has every right to do that, but he should not pick on Masing without taking into consideration what has been said in Parliament by Mukhriz,” Piee said.
Piee went on to say that after the failed amendment, Sarawakians had every right to treat with suspicion questionable statements from the PH leadership that concerned the rights of Sarawak.
“They are playing with words and ambiguities; we cannot afford to not see the forest for the trees.
“We have been short-changed for over 50 years, just form without substance will not change our destiny.
“They talked about going back to (the Malaysia Agreement 1963) MA63, but at the same time they feared making MA63 a part of the Constitution.
“Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) wants to correct a wrong made in 1963 when the Constitution was supposed to be written based on MA63 but was instead based on MA57.
“Will Teron tell his Malayan masters that this is the crux of the GPS’ struggle now?” said Piee.
