Minos lauds Adenan for opting for diplomacy

KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan must be commended for opting for diplomacy rather than confrontation to reclaim Sarawak’s rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

Veteran politician Dato Peter Minos said confrontation is good only between adversaries but not among friends and partners, since confrontation often ended in bad feelings or even in bad blood.

“But of course nobody is stopped from barking and shouting, even posturing, for we have freedom and democracy. But we cannot put much hope on that strategy of confrontation and adversarial politics, not least in a federation,” said Minos, a former deputy information chief of State Barisan Nasional lynchin Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu ( PBB).

It was reported in the media yesterday that the state government was not making a U-turn when it decided not to proceed with tabling a motion on reclaiming Sarawak’s status as equal partner in the Federation of Malaysia.

Adenan said this in his winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly sitting on Wednesday.

“Patience is also needed, on top of diplomacy, in sorting out any differences or problems with the Federal side regardless of who the prime minister is. That I know, even in the United States of America and Australia, the states there exercise tremendous amount of patience and diplomacy in resolving serious federal- state issues over such matters as mining rights, police powers, water resources and so on.

“That seems to be the basic rule in any federation or confederation. Remove this rule or practice, you only end up as all losers in federal- state disruption. This cannot be good to anyone. And this is what our chief minister is trying to avoid and that I say is simply being wise and smart,” said Minos.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had recently announced that he was willing to discuss with Sarawak and Sabah on any matters related to the Malaysia Agreement.

But of course nobody is stopped from barking and shouting, even posturing, for we have freedom and democracy. But we cannot put much hope on that strategy of confrontation and adversarial politics, not least in a federation. Dato Peter Minos, Veteran politician