By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, June 18: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) may be gentle but becomes tough when challenged, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
The PBB president likened the party to a group of female ‘silat’ (martial arts) exponents who have awed him with a combination of traditional dance and silat performances.
“I was quite surprised when the group of girls, who were gracefully dancing to welcome our (dignitaries) arrival, changed to do ‘silat’ mid-performance. This means they are reticent at first.
“It is as if they (the girls) get you drawn with their beauty. But once you challenge them, they will respond with (a punch).
“That is (similar to) PBB. Although PBB is gentle, once challenged, we will face it bravely,” he said when officiating at the 15th PBB Convention launching ceremony at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) today.
Abang Johari, who is also Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman, further said that Sarawak has faced and is facing many challenges, but under the GPS governance, the State is and will be able to pull through wonderfully.
One of the challenges was during the Covid-19 pandemic when the State government, through the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), went all out to spend huge allocations for Covid-19 vaccine rollouts, setting up quarantine centres for the isolation of patients, and providing welfare assistance to the people.
Other challenges included political instability at the federal level, which led to the formation of GPS, the State’s effort to fight for its eroded rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), exploring alternative funding for the State’s revenue, and implementation of development projects in the State. — DayakDaily
