KUCHING: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) is leaving it to the wisdom of the Chief Minister to decide on the appointment of ministers in his Cabinet “as the discretion is his and his alone”.
“We trust that the Chief Minister will note the statement by (Parti Rakyat Sarawak president) Tan Sri Dr James Masing that, in a democracy, elected representatives have the right to change parties,” said the party secretariat today.
PSB also expressed agreement with a statement by Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) secretary general Datuk Sebastian Ting, who acknowledged that the appointment or retention of any Cabinet ministers and assistant ministers was the sole prerogative of the Chief Minister.
Ting in response to PSB’s decision to accept application by a serving MP with PRS Datuk Masir Kujat and several other former members of PRS to join PSB was quoted as saying “SUPP would leave the matter entirely to Abang Johari”.
PSB, however, rebutted Ting’s statement accusing PSB of being “unfriendly to SUPP” while calling for the sacking of PSB ministers, assistant ministers, councillors and political secretaries.
“It seems that Ting has a selective memory, conveniently forgetting that SUPP is the party that has been clearly “unfriendly” to UPP then. Allow us to refresh his memory.
“A Memorandum of Understanding was executed between SUPP and UPP, witnessed by the Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari, supposedly to reconcile the two parties. That was what the Chief Minister and UPP hoped for.
“When the ink was barely dry, SUPP immediately breached the MoU at an event called “Harmony Night” held in Sibu on April 18, 2018 where a group of SUPP members demonstrated with banners and placards in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese and Iban that read “No father and son” and “Reject Dynasty” which was clearly attacking the candidacy of the late Datuk Andrew Wong Kee Yew that had just been announced by YAB Chief Minister,” PSB secretariat said in a press statement.
The statement also claimed that SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian could be seen in the newspaper photograph grinning widely and showing the thumbs-up sign with the group of demonstrators.
PSB recalled that prior to that, during the 2016 state elections, the then Chief Minister Pehin Sri Adenan Satem had decided that seven UPP candidates would contest under the Barisan Nasional (BN) symbol.
“In direct defiance to the decision of the BN chairman, SUPP openly fielded candidates against UPP BN direct candidates carrying banners with SUPP and BN logos. The SUPP candidates lost,” it added.
