New govt should not be ‘too religious or racist’ — PDP chief
The new government should be one that respects all races and religions, said Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president Dato Sri Tiong King Sing.
“The government should not be an extremist government. It has to be a very people-centric government. It cannot be too religious or racist,” he said when met at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) building yesterday.
Asked if he agreed with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s proposal to form a unity government, Tiong said PDP will abide by the King’s decision.
“We abide by the Agong. We see how it goes,” he said.
On his party’s absence from the audience with the Yang diPertuan Agong in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, Tiong explained that he was not informed in time.
He said that those who tried to contact him about the meeting then tried to get in touch PDP vice-president Anyi Ngau but he too was not unreachable.
“He (Anyi) had just returned to Kuching (after polling day in Baram) and there was a problem with his phone and he did not go get a new phone. Instead he just went and rested for two days,” he said.
Tiong said that even he could not get hold of Anyi.
He believed Anyi wanted to rest after polling day as he was scolded by the people who had to go through flood waters on polling day.
The election for Baram concluded on Monday as the Election Commission could not send its workers to 11 polling centres on Saturday due to the poor weather.
Anyi won the seat for a third term.
On Wednesday, Yang diPertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had called for a meeting with Gabungan Parti Sarawak MPs at the palace in a bid to break the deadlock in the formation of the government.
It was attended by representatives from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, Sarawak United People’s Party and Parti Rakyat Sarawak.