Adenan: Entry of PBS may cause further confusion

KOTA SAMARAHAN: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem says Parti Bersatu Sabah ( PBS) is free to spread its wings to Sarawak if it is ambitious, but cautioned that the move would add to further confusion among Sarawakians.

“All I can say is that it will add further confusion. There are already so many political parties (in Sarawak) right now. Don’t you think we have enough ( political parties) already?” he asked in a press conference after presenting scrolls to graduates at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak ( Unimas) 19th Convocation Ceremony, here, yesterday.

Currently, Sarawak Barisan Nasional ( BN) consists of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu ( PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak ( PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party ( SUPP) and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party ( SPDP). United People’s Party ( UPP) and Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak ( Teras) are BN-friendly parties.

Although Sarawak is one of the states that PBS intends to make inroads into, Adenan believes that the party’s focus would be more on Peninsular Malaysia and not so much on Sarawak.

“That is my feeling. But it depends on the people, whether they (PBS) will be accepted or not.”

Asked whether the state BN would welcome PBS, he said: “They are already part of BN but I think we have enough political parties (in Sarawak) already”.

When asked whether he thinks that there is a need for PBS to spread its wings to Sarawak, Adenan responded by saying: “You have to ask them, I don’t know. You have to ask my friend Joseph Pairin”.

Adenan, who is state Barisan Nasional ( BN) chairman, was commenting on PBS being given the green light by Registrar of Societies ( RoS) to spread its wings to Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.

The approval of its application to spread it wings to Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at PBS’ annual delegates conference in Kota Kinabalu last Saturday.

Ahmad Zahid, who officiated at the conference, presented PRS president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan the certificate and approval letter dated Nov 3 from RoS to the resounding applause of all those present.

Pairin, in his opening speech, expressed optimism that by opening more branches nationwide, PBS could spread moderation and multiracialism to tackle extremism. He gave his assurance that with more than 200,000 Sabahans working in the peninsula, the party could strengthen its membership especially among the younger generation.

Meanwhile, PRS president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing said there was nothing wrong for PBS, or for that matter any political party registered in Malaysia, to be allowed to spread their wings anywhere in this country without having to ask permission from the RoS.

“After all, all Malayan- based parties can operate in Sarawak and Sabah. Why discriminate? Let ‘orang Malaya’ ( Malayan people) decide whether they want to be part of Sarawak and Sabah parties.”

He said BN component parties outside Sarawak should be allowed to spread their wings to Sarawak, provided they don’t stake a claim on any state or parliamentary constituency.

“Their presence in Sarawak is to assist the existing BN parties and not to lay claim to any seat or to create trouble for the four BN component parties already in existence.”

All I can say is that it will add further confusion. There are already so many political parties (in Sarawak) right now. Don’t you think we have enough (political parties) already?

Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Chief Minister