ABANG Johari Openg said he is not sure if the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) MPs who met Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had asked him to serve out his full term.

The GPS chairman said he has not been briefed on what transpired at the meeting.

“I was not there so I don’t know,” he told reporters when asked if the request by the MPs, who included GPS chief whip Fadillah Yusof, could be construed as GPS getting involved in who becomes the next prime minister.

The Sarawak chief minister has been critical of the intense politicking surrounding who will succeed Dr Mahathir when he steps down mid-term.

Abang Johari said there was an “invitation” to GPS MPs to meet the prime minister for a “chit chat”.

He did not say who made the invitation but the chief minister said they accepted it “just to listen”.

“I don’t know (if they made the request for him to complete his full term as prime minister). Maybe,” he said after attending ceremonies to mark Kuching City Day today.

Parti Rakyat Sarawak president James Masing said he was not aware of such a meeting.

“Not that I am aware of,” he said in a text message.

Umno and PAS leaders were reportedly at the Tuesday night meeting. 

The Star, quoting its source,  reported the meeting was “to tell Dr Mahathir that he has the opposition’s full support until the next general election, and that they do not agree with him handing over the reins midway to Anwar Ibrahim or anyone else.” – August 1, 2019.