SARAWAK Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg tonight denied ever making an offer for Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) to abandon the coalition and join Pakatan Harapan (PH), which had just won the general election.

“No. Never (made an offer to join PH),” Abang Johari told reporters after attending the International Digital Economy Conference hack weekend pre-launch networking dinner.

He said he would of course “have some sort of collaboration”, as in any federation.

Abang Johari, who is Sarawak BN chief and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president which won 13 federal seats, said he would continue with the mandate that was given to him via his predecessor Adenan Satem.

The four-party BN won 19 of the 31 parliamentary seats contested in GE14.

Adenan died in office in January last year, less than a year after being elected in the April 2016 state election.

In a statement a day after the election, Abang Johari said the state BN government, even though an opposition government, will continue to work with the federal government for the people’s benefit.

He also said his government’s priority is to reclaim state rights, which have been eroded over the years, back to what was enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and the federal constitution.

Abang Johari added that the state government will closely monitor all the promises as contained in the PH manifesto in the next five years, particularly those relating to Sarawak. – May 13, 2018.