KUCHING: The Registrar of Societies (RoS) has approved the registration of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the RoS will soon issue an official letter.
“The application to register GPS has already been approved, and RoS will issue the letter within the next two days, Insya-Allah (God willing),” he told Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, the MP for Kapit, in Parliament yesterday.
Muhyiddin was responding to Alexander’s query on the status of GPS, a coalition of four parties, namely Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
With the RoS nod, it means it’s the first time that a legally registered Sarawak-based coalition of homegrown parties is administrating the state after leaving the Barisan Nasional (BN) following latter’s defeat in the Peninsula.
The Sarawak BN was returned to power in the May 9 general election.
The four parties had on June 12 announced their decision to quit BN and gone on to form GPS.
GPS submitted the application to RoS in early July and was told the process would take between three and six months.
True to the RoS’ words, the whole process took about four months, within the timeframe.
Reacting to the approval, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg thanked Muhyiddin and the RoS for getting the coalition registered without any major hitch.
“With this registration, we will be able to carry out our tasks with full trust of the rakyat…we’ll continue to carry out our duties democratically for our state and country as a whole,” he told reporters in Sibu.
On political parties wishing to be part of the coalition, he said the four coalition parties had come to an agreement that approval would not be by consensus, as is BN’s practice
“We have an agreement that it would not be like BN. If three quarters (of the coalition partners) agree to accept other parties it means we will consider their applications,” he explained.
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What they say…
We will be able to carry out our tasks with full
trust of the rakyat and continue to carry out our duties democratically for our state and country.
– Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, Chief Minister
The formation of GPS will enable Sarawak
to pursue its struggle on a new political platform
in line with the changing aspirations, needs and
interests of Sarawak’s multi-racial populace.
– Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Petra Jaya MP
We are grateful to the federal government and we
will continue to serve the people of Sarawak, especially
to develop and transform the rural areas.
– Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi, Minister of Utilities
This is the beginning of a new political era for Sarawak.
– Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, SUPP president
It’s a long-awaited decision. GPS can now move more
actively to achieve the objective of its formation.
– Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, PBB Women chief
It’s fair of the minister concerned and RoS to take about four months to process the application and give the approval.
– Datuk Henry Jinep, PDP supreme council member
