SARAWAK Pakatan Harapan (PH) chief Chong Chieng Jen told supporters at their Harapan Sarawak Baru dinner in Kuching tonight that the coalition “has to win” the 2021 Sarawak elections to remove their greatest threat in the next general election. 

Chong, who described the state election as the “battle of the century”, said one of the biggest threats PH could face in the next general election is the new Umno-PAS political alliance.

However, he said the Umno-PAS alliance, which he dubbed the “unholy coalition”, cannot win power without the help of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

Chong said PH must therefore defeat the “third component party to this unholy union”. 

Earlier, he had fired up the mood of the party stalwarts by telling the GPS government loud and clear, “here we come”.

The dinner saw the presence of most PH component party leaders for the first time in the state.

PKR was represented by its president Anwar Ibrahim, DAP by its longest serving MP Lim Kit Siang, Muhyiddin Yassin for Bersatu and Mohamad Sabu for Amanah.

Just as he promised, Anwar raised the issue of deforestation and logging in the state.

He said the logging industry had not only deforested the state, it had also benefitted only a few people.

Anwar said the country must therefore have the political conviction to stop deforestation.

“Instead, we must have reforestation and a plan to comply with the Paris agreement (on climate change),” he said.

The prime minister-designate said if Malaysia is in compliance with the Paris agreement, then it would be easier for the country to secure funding from western nations on reforestation programmes.

Anwar also urged Sarawakians to reject racism and religious bigotry that are so prevalent in the peninsula. 

“Sarawak must reject them. We can never succeed as a nation if we can’t think beyond our longhouse, race and religion.” – July 28, 2019.