DEMANDING and negotiating for ministerial posts in the new federal cabinet was never a priority when Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s supported Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister, said Abang Johari Openg.
The chief minister said ending the political turmoil engulfing the country was the top priority for the Sarawak coalition.
“I see first, assuming there is (an invitation), I will look at it first. But that is secondary,” he told reporters when asked which portfolios had been offered to GPS in return for its support.
“The country (comes) first,” he said after attending an interfaith harmony forum in Kuching today.
GPS had said it was not in the newly minted Perikatan Nasional coalition, but only supported Muhyiddin.
The Chief Minister’s Office said the state’s ruling coalition is only “a political entity in Sarawak that gives support to Muhyiddin in the interest of the nation and to save Malaysia from political instability without sacrificing the interest of Sarawak”.
Abang Johari, in maintaining that GPS had become a kingmaker in national politics, recounted how the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had delivered his decree within half an hour of knowing GPS’ pick for the prime minister’s post.
Petra Jaya MP Fadillah Yusoff had delivered the coalition’s choice as Abang Johari was in remote Belaga launching the coalition’s Belaga-Murum zone at the time.
“I never thought they would look for me. I thought they were supposed to be smarter than us. Now you know why we left Barisan Nasional.
“If we had been in the BN coalition, BN would have made the decision for us. Now, as we are on own, they are forced to look for me even though I was in Sg Assap (Belaga).”
He said early on in the political upheaval, GPS had thrown its support behind former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad to continue leading the country.
But in the chaos of shifting alliances that culminated in Dr Mahathir resigning as prime minister on February 24, GPS moved its support to Muhyiddin, who had emerged to fill the void.
PKR president Anwar Ibrahim was never in GPS’ mind due to his association with DAP, Abang Johari said.
Earlier, Parti Rakyat Sarawak president James Masing had said resolving the political impasse and appointing Muhyiddin as prime minister meant GPS had carried out its first and foremost objective – to stabilise the nation.
“Our second objective is to cater to the interests of Sarawak and her people. Our third objective is put our lawmakers in a position so that they can assist in administering our country,” he said.
The deputy chief minister had said the priorities “must be in that order”.
“Appointment to positions is the last (priority) and only if the positions given serve Sarawakians”. – March 3, 2020.
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