By Lian Cheng
KUCHIG, Feb 24: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will remain an independent entity regardless of the political movement within Pakatan Harapan.
Its secretary-general Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi more or less assured that nothing has changed in GPS’ stand in defending Sarawak’s rights above all.
“We believe that all these happenings are within Pakatan. GPS has never been part of Pakatan. We have nothing to do with the political crisis that has blown wide open.
“Our stand is, we are not part of Pakatan and we are not a coalition to anybody. We maintain that we are putting the Sarawak interests first. We continue to look after the interests of Sarawak,” Nanta told DayakDaily.
He said GPS was dragged into the recent political fiasco because GPS leaders believed that as responsible Malaysians, they could not totally brush aside national politics which at the end, will affect Sarawak to a certain extent.
“We are more or less been dragged in because as responsible Malaysians, we believe that the national interests are also important. We want to see stability in the country. Furthermore, we believe that what happened in Putrajaya may affect Sarawak to a certain extend.
“However, regardless of what happened, we always maintain our stand, which is Sarawak first. This is what we have done in the past and this is what we are doing now,” said Nanta.
He said after May 9 general election in 2018, GPS left Barisan Nasional (BN) but has since assumed the position of being friendly towards the federal government.
“Our chief minister (Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg) has always maintained the position that we have left BN and to be friendly to the federal government, we will support the federal government, we will support the prime minister, we will support the government of the day.
“So now, with all these happenings, all we do is that we continue to support the government of the day because we don’t want to see turmoil within the country,” said Nanta.
He reiterated that whether to be part of federal government is not as important as Sarawak gaining its rights.
“GPS is always consistent. We always work for the interests of Sarawakians. That is most important to us. Whether we are part of the federal government or not, it is not as important,” he continued.
GPS has not make any official statement since it was reported that coalition leaders led by Abang Johari held its own meeting at a hotel at the same time when other parties such as Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) splinter group, deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali faction, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), Parti Islam Sa-Malaysia (Pas) and United Malays National Organisation (Umno) were holed up at different locations having their own meetings. — DayakDaily
