GPS leaders can’t tout ‘Sarawak First’ agenda while backing PH, says rep

PETALING JAYA: A Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) assemblyman has slammed GPS vice-chairman Tiong King Sing for speaking at a Pakatan Harapan (PH) ceramah in Johor ahead of the election looming in the southern state.

Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap said it was unbecoming for any GPS leader to tout the ruling coalition’s “Sarawak First” agenda while campaigning for PH elsewhere, Dayak Daily reported.

He said this would send Sarawak voters and GPS grassroots mixed signals about its position, adding that political consistency, collective responsibility, and institutional discipline were crucial to maintaining the coalition’s unity and credibility.

“We cannot champion a ‘Sarawak First’ agenda at home while strengthening the political machinery of PH elsewhere. Principles should not shift according to geography or political convenience.

“Consistency is what earns the trust and confidence of the rakyat,” the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) assistant treasurer was quoted as saying.

Yap said this was not Tiong’s first time campaigning for PH, as the president of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) – a GPS component – had also done so during the Sabah polls in November last year.

He said PDP’s repeated skirmishes with SUPP would further confuse GPS voters and grassroots.

“It is difficult to reconcile calls to support PH in Johor or Sabah when the same coalition’s component parties continue to challenge GPS and SUPP in Sarawak.”

GPS lynchpin Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) yesterday played down Tiong’s appearance at the PH ceramah in Johor, saying the Bintulu MP attended the event in his personal capacity.

PBB information chief Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah maintained that Tiong’s presence had nothing to do with GPS which he said remained consistent in refusing to get involved in election campaigns in other states.

Tiong’s presence at the ceramah had drawn praise from Amanah Youth leader Muammar Qaddafi Nasir, who claimed it proved that Borneo’s top leaders were backing PH in the Johor polls.