GABUNGAN Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders are divided over a posting on June 25 that appeared on a Facebook page purportedly aligned to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, which stated “GPS is not an opposition party, only an independent pro Pakatan Harapan party”.

The post on the Kelab Che Det’s Facebook page was in reaction to Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s statement last week that Sarawak will go bankrupt within three years if its budget remained at RM11 billion annually.

The post also said “we (GPS & PH) should be friends and (PH should) not run down our friends”.

Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Masing said he had no doubt GPS and PH will not be friends at the coming state election.

“How can we be if PH fight us comes 2021. We will fight them, tooth and nail based on principles.

“This is a fight not about personal differences. This fight is not about personality.

“This is a fight about how Sarawak is to be administered,” Masing, who is also Sarawak deputy chief minister, said in reaction to the posting.

“I will fight my fellow lawmakers in DUN (state legislature), but I will drink with them (later) in the pub!” Masing said.

The Kelab Che Det’s Facebook account is not the personal account of Dr Mahathir but it seen to reflect closely the prime minister’s views and thoughts.

A member of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) central committee, Tan Kai, says GPS’ “friends” are those who restore Sarawak’s autonomy as set out in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

SUPP Youth leader Milton Foo is more pragmatic in his view.

Foo said PH could be considered as friends when they don’t fight GPS in the state election

“Friends won’t stab each other.”

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice president Abdul Karim Hamzah said both coalition were democratically elected.

“I agree with the wise statement (that GPS is not an opposition party, only an independent pro Pakatan Harapan party and both parties should be friends).

“GPS is a a democratically elected government just like the PH federal government.

“We should discharge our duties efficiently and there is not need for anyone to use their position or ministry to smear the govrnment that had been elected by the people,” Karim, who is Sarawak minister of culture, youth and sports, said.

“The GPS government has accepted the people’s choice after last year’s general election and therefore we would like to see a joint effort by both the state and federal governments to advance the country.” – July 1, 2019.