KUCHING, Jan 19: The result of the Kimanis by-election yesterday reflects Pakatan Harapan (PH)’s failure to govern and failure to regain the trust of Sabahans, says PAS Sarawak information chief Zharudin Narudin.
“The victory of Barisan Nasional (BN) at P.176 Kimanis yesterday was part of the early signs that Muafakat Nasional (MN) had begun to be accepted in Borneo and this needs to be accepted by PH,” according to Zharudin in a statement.
In view of the efforts of the central PAS authority to strengthen BN cooperation through MN, it is imperative the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition re-evaluate its position as a national opposition force, opined the Sarawak Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) leader.
“Although they (GPS) are very confident of their position in Sarawak without joining either the opposition or the federal government, they are not able to stand on their own at the national level in fact.
“Theoretically, the concept of federalism is an agreement between all regions to drive mutual prosperity. People especially in Sarawak will start to fall away from the national agenda if this continues. In general, it is difficult for GPS (to stand) alone without a partner who supports their agenda,” Zharudin asserted.
On the other hand, he added, PAS Sarawak is consistent in its position that it will not make room for PH to win in Sarawak with various efforts seen in the capacity of GPS-friendly partners.
“PAS will not even let GPS win the seat that we see high potential for us to win,” he emphasised, adding that PAS Sarawak is open to negotiations or cooperation at all times.
He cautioned that GPS needs to be aware of PAS votes in the last general election and recent by-elections, which can also contribute to a huge victory or possibly a defeat for GPS, as it has been proven that PAS members and supporters are loyal to whatever the party directs.
Adding that PAS Sarawak has no problem using the BN symbol if it is necessary for PAS to win the Sarawak seats, Zharudin pointed out GPS should be well aware that the BN emblem still carries much weight in the state and this will give them a competitive edge if there is a candidate using the emblem. — DayakDaily
