BARISAN Nasional (BN) respects Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) not wanting to become part of the ruling coalition, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said.

According to Ahmad, GPS’s position had been mentioned during a meeting between BN leaders and GPS chairman Abang Johari Openg recently.

“He did state during our meeting of their decision (three years ago) for GPS parties not to join BN, but they said they will be close friends with us.

“GPS used ‘Sarawak First’ as its slogan, meaning it wants Sarawak to be governed by the state’s parties. We respect this view,” he told reporters in Pontian today.

“We appreciate the friendship and when we win, BN wins, hopefully in the next general election, we will invite GPS to join the federal government,” he said when asked about BN’s relationship with GPS.

Yesterday, a university lecturer was quoted to have said that the friendly ties between BN and GPS should be translated into formal political co-operation for a more effective and extensive continuation of Sarawak’s development.

The political analyst had also stressed that this must be irrespective of the outcome of the upcoming Sarawak elections on December 18.

GPS was formed after the last general election, which saw a change of government for the first time in Malaysian history.

On June 12, 2018, four Sarawak parties – Progressive Democratic Party, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, Sarawak United Peoples’ Party and Parti Rakyat Sarawak – announced their withdrawal from BN to form the GPS coalition. – Bernama, December 11, 2021.