PM can come from Sabah – Dr M
KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he is confident that a Sabahan or Sarawakian will become the prime minister one day.
“In a democratic country, anyone can become a leader as long as that person has certain capabilities,” he said.
“We need to give opportunity for others to lead the country. I am confident that one day, the prime minister will come from Sabah or Sarawak because we are all Malaysians,” Dr Mahathir told reporters after launching Bersatu Sabah at the ITCC in Penampang yesterday.
The Bersatu chairman said the party is here to give support to the Warisan-led state government.
“We are not going to take over the state government, we are going to support it,” he stressed.
“We believe that the state government is in charge and we will support it because although Warisan is not a member of Pakatan Harapan we have given it special position in that they or their members are now members of the cabinet, also deputy ministers.
“We work quite closely and we consult with each other. There is no problem of working together,” he said when asked to comment on claims that Bersatu is getting a lukewarm reception in Sabah.
On the absence of Warisan leaders at the event, Dr Mahathir pointed out that some of the party leaders were there earlier and he had met with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal who is also Warisan president on arrival at airport here.
“I had a chat with him on certain issues... we can work together (as) I have worked with Shafie over a long period of time,” Dr Mahathir added.
To a question on whether Bersatu would request any seats in the state cabinet, the Prime Minister replied: “We have no wish to force anything on the state government, we will work with the state government.”
He also said Bersatu Sabah, with its huge number of supporters, would help both the state and federal governments.
Dr Mahathir also said Sulaman assemblyman Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor had been appointed as Bersatu Sabah coordinator and was tasked to ensure that the chapter abide by the party’s Constitution.
Bersatu Sabah will have to elect its state leadership and Hajiji will ensure that the divisional election will proceed accordingly, he added.
Meanwhile, on the objections from Sabah leaders to the proposed amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to restore equal partnership of Sabah and Sarawak with the Federated States of Malaya, Dr Mahathir said it was not just cosmetics as some had claimed.
“We have promised and will recognise signatories to the 1963 Malaysia Agreement... Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsula Malaysia as members of the Federation. It is not cosmetics at all. We have every intention to clean up the government (because) we do not want a government that is there in order to give jobs to cronies but on the other hand if there are qualified people they will be treated fairly,” he stressed.