PH Sarawak calling GPS names out of desperation – Sharifah Hasidah

KUCHING: Pakatan Harapan ( PH) leaders in Sarawak are so desperate they start labelling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) with ridiculous names to hide their own weakness, said Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring

“The opposition are trying to take Sarawakians for a ride for political reasons,” Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali said yesterday.

She said Sarawakians were looking forward to the Bill to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution but ‘GPS abstained from voting the amendment Bill because the Sarawak ruling coalition wanted the restoration of Sarawak’s status to include regaining the rights it lost over the years.

“Right from the word go! substantially and legally, GPS is not wrong and PH leaders should stop politicising this. Sadly, if they agreed with us, they might look weak, and what else is left of them,” she said.

Sharifah Hasidah believed that the majority of Sarawakians were literate and had the thinking ability to assess the whole situation.

“I urge Sarawakians to think and not to simply believe what is thrown at them. The constitution is there, read it. The MA63, IGC reports, Malaysia Acts are all readily available. Read them and understand our arguments.

“We are here to fight for our beloved Sarawak. Not fight just to win support from your own base like some parties do,” she added. She insisted that the crux of the matter was very simple; GPS wants the Bill to be referred to the Select Committee to be deliberated on, that’s all.

“Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions for the good of Sarawak. We, in GPS will continue to do things prudently.”

Sharifah Hasidah said GPS would not sacrifice the people’s interest just to impress them, and to appear heroic for their party supporters and base.

Meanwhile, Democratic Action Party ( DAP) Sarawak is releasing another video accusing GPS of betrayal for working in cahoots with Umno and PAS against the Bill.

Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Chong Chieng Jen who is also DAP Sarawak chairman insisted that Sabah and Sarawak could regain their original status in Malaysia on April 9 if the constitution amendment Bill were passed.

“But, because of the sabotage by GPS, Umno and PAS, the constitution amendment Bill was not passed. We fell short of 10 votes. PAS, Umno and GPS abstained, which is in effect an opposition vote, and as such the constitution amendment Bill did not get through.”

Chong said GPS gave many reasons to oppose the Bill but if one were to look at the amendment, it was tabled on April 9 with exactly the same words that appeared in the 1963 Constitution,” he said.