Leaving PKR a bitter pill to swallow but necessary — Sng
MIRI: No one in their right mind will join a party only to resign a few years later but it is unfair for constituents of Malaysia’s poorest parliamentary constituency if he remains outside the government, said Julau MP Larry Sng.
“This is indeed a very difficult decision to begin with and it would be unfair to put politics above development which is needed most by my people,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday when contacted on his decision to quit PKR and pledge his support to Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Sng took over as PKR Sarawak chairman in February last year after his predecessor and Selangau MP Baru Bian quit the party at the height of PKR leadership tussle between party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his deputy Datuk Seri Azmin Ali when Pakatan Harapan (PH) was in power.
He stood by Anwar then but a year later on Sunday said he was forced to take this painful decision to leave his friends in PKR and the party as Julau constituency is the poorest in the country.
“My priority has always been to put my people first. Unfortunately with the change in government a year ago, I was unable to serve them the way I used to before due to the lack of development fund,” he said.
“I have given my full support to the party in the past to retake the government but that never materialised. It’s unfair to the people of Julau to keep them
My priority has always been to put my people first. Unfortunately with the change in government a year ago, I was unable to serve them the way I used to before due to the lack of development fund.
Larry Sng
waiting,” he added.
Sng believes his decision to put the people’s interest above politics can bring more development to the constituency.
PKR Sarawak leaders, including state deputy chairman Roland Engan, had generally refrained from attacking Sng after his quit announcement.
“Friendship and politics are separate matters. They are my friends and we parted on good terms,” Sng explained.
Sng was elected Julau MP on independent ticket in the 14th General Election in 2018, defeating incumbent Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum in this predominantly Iban constituency, riding the wave of PH popularity which succeeded in dislodging Barisan Nasional (BN) from the federal government but itself fell after less than two years in power.
Sng announced that he had resigned as Sarawak PKR chief on Feb 27 in a video conference with fellow party leaders, and pictures circulated later showed Muhyiddin receiving the statutory declarations of support from Sng and Tebrau MP Steven Choong as International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin and Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Zuraidah Kamaruddin looked on.