By Nigel Edgar
KUCHING, March 17: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Semariang members are reminded to always be steadfast, more so now that the party together with three other Sarawak-based parties are now under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), which is not affiliated to the federal government.
With the coalition now “free” from any political whip, unlike when they were with the Barisan Nasional (BN), it is up to GPS alone to defend, uphold and fight to restore Sarawak’s rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the Federal Constitution.
Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali reminded Semariang PBB constituents that they could not depend solely on the federal to determine what would benefit Sarawak.
“We determine our own destiny, and we can because we are capable of doing so as long as we are together and united,” she said at GPS Semariang’s official launching ceremony at the Old State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Building here today.
The Semariang assemblywoman assured that the GPS state government would fight on to defend the state’s immigration autonomy, the right to enforce its own legislation according to the federal constitution, defend its own borders and the rights to its own resources, including its territorial sea within its borders, including its oil and gas resources.
Meanwhile, Petra Jaya MP Datuk Fadillah Yusof, who was also present, reminded Semariang constituents and party machinery to work hard for the coming state election, which is due in 2021.
He said unlike during the BN era, where help would always come from all coalition members, including the federal government, this time they would go up against their opponents who are now with the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government.
“The state election in 2021 is very soon. We should not be content now because the political scenario has changed. Last time, we were with BN, who was the ruling federal government.
“Now a lot of PH component parties have spread their wings to Sarawak. If we don’t work hard now, it will be difficult for GPS, with its four component parties, to defend Sarawak and its rights,” he said. — DayakDaily
