By Jaythaleela K
MIRI, Dec 28: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) grassroot members must remain united and close ranks in preparation for the coming state election.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, who is also the PBB deputy president described the state’s 12th Election as a seminal moment for governing Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and its component parties Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), and Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP).
Awang Tengah made these remarks last night during a dinner gathering hosted by Miri PBB.
Nearly 70 members from the party’s Pujut, Piasau and Senadin branches attended the gathering, including veteran members.
“Unity amongst our grassroots is a crucial element for GPS to win in the state election,” Awang Tengah emphasised.
“Stay within the party, don’t jump from the party, because we need a strong PBB to win the tate election.”
He also reminded party members not to exploit racial and religious issues for political and party gains.
Citing the Ming Court affair that redefined Sarawak politics in 1987, Awang Tengah said it was a chaotic period where a race-based political party emerged and the Sarawak Legislative Assembly was dissolved by then Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
“There was disunity within PBB at that time, a new race-based political party was formed (Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak) , and during the 1987 election, PBB won but with a small majority, and eventually we managed to overcome the crisis,” he said.
“We must learn from the past experience; exploiting racial and religious issues only creates racial disunity amongst various races, and in Sarawak, we are fortunate that every ethnic groups lives in peace and harmony, and this we must retain,” he added.
Also present during the dinner were Assistant Minister for Women, Family and Childhood Developmemt Datuk Rosey Yunus, Sibuti Member of Parliament Lukanisman Awang Sauni, the event’s orgnising chairman-cum-political secretary to the Chief Minister Sarkawi Suhaili, PBB Piasau branch chairman Councilior (Cr) Sardon Zainal, PBB Senadin branch chairman Cr Julaihi Mohamad and PBB Pujut Women chief Cr Warzieda Ahmad. — DayakDaily
