State polls just around the corner, Bersatu and PAS will not contest — Masing

KUCHING: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia ( PAS) have assured Gabungan Parti Sarawak ( GPS) they will not contest in the next state election even though both parties have branches in the state.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing said the assurance was given by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is Bersatu president, and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, during a Perikatan Nasional (PN) meeting in Putrajaya on Wednesday.

“This assurance not only clears the way for GPS to fight the opposition head on, but it is a good sign that PN component parties respect and honour its commitment to assist GPS when PRN12 (12th state election) is called,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Bersatu has not featured in any election in Sarawak as it only contested in seats in Peninsular Malaysia when it made its debut in the 2018 general election.

PAS, on the other hand, has contested several times in Sarawak in both state and parliamentary elections.

Masing, who is Parti Rakyat Sarawak ( PRS) president, also said that Chief Minister and GPS chairman Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had informed the PN meeting that the state election was “just around the corner” and that GPS was ready to face it.

He added that GPS’ four component parties are readying themselves to fight the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) and others.

“Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari, the chairman of GPS, made GPS’ position very clear within PN.

“GPS supports Tan Sri Muhyiddin as the Prime Minister and will give him its full support to lead the charge come 15th General Election (GE15).” PRS, along with Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party ( SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), are the four component parties in GPS.

Meanwhile, Masing said that in spite of PN being a loose coalition of 12 political parties, the respective party presidents at the meeting all agreed for Muhyiddin to lead the charge come GE15 and that by virtue of being the leader, he will be again be prime minister upon winning the ‘war’.

Masing explained that this understanding augurs well for PN when GE15 is called, unlike Pakatan Harapan (PH) which is still plagued by disputes over who should be prime minister should the Opposition take control of Putrajaya.

He added the one common factor which glues the parties in PN together is their objection for Democratic Action Party (DAP) to be part of the coalition.

“In this respect, MCA needs to strengthen itself to fight for the Chinese communities in Malaysia,” he said.