THE former Anglican bishop of Kuching and archbishop of the Anglican Church in Southeast Asia has ditched his “quiet ride into the sunset” for the whirlwind of politics by joining opposition Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).

Bolly Lapok, who retired from the ministry in 2017, said it was not an option for him to ride quietly into the sunset.

“After having been consecrated to serve as bishop in the Anglican Church, I find it highly inconsistent, even insidious, to think that God’s plan for me has ended on the date of my retirement,” he said when announcing his application to the party.

However, he did not say if he would be contesting in the coming state polls.

On November 3, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah consented to lifting the emergency for Sarawak, which was promulgated on August 2 this year.

In a statement, Istana Negara said the consent given by the king was in accordance with Articles 40 and 40(1A) of the Federal Constitution.

The lifting of the emergency will pave the way for the 12th Sarawak elections to be held, as the natural tenure of the state government expired on June 6 this year.

The election commission is set to meet soon to set the nomination and polling dates for the election.

The 69-year-old expects serious questions to be asked over his new calling.

He said his plunge into politics “is a calling that transcends the expectation, which dictates that, after his retirement, the priest (or) pastor should be content with quietly spending the remainder of his earthly life riding into the sunset”.

“I suspect that upon hearing of the news of my joining politics, many would be surprised, as not only it is unconventional but, for some reason, difficult to reconcile with the image I have been associated with.”

Bolly said he took the plunge because he was drawn by PSB’s “distinct advocacy of centrism and regionalism with its pledge to protect Sarawak’s much vaunted inter-racial harmony and religious tolerance from any form of extremism”.

He added he, together with all “like-minded Malaysians across the whole political spectrum”, is now committed to voice out, to denounce and condemn reckless politics and rhetoric that could sow ill-feeling and discord to the concept of the Malaysian family. – November 11, 2021.