KUCHING: Movement for Change Sarawak (MoCS) should be condemned for continually demanding that Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud quits as Chief Minister despite calling off its proposed rally on Aug 13 at the last minute, said PBB deputy information chief Datuk Peter Minos.
“Who pays or asks MoCS to make demands on PBB or (Chief Minister) Pehin Sri Taib (Mahmud)… PBB does not respond to provocateurs or trouble-makers because we do things in a proper and civilised way,” said Minos, when contacted yesterday.
Last Saturday, MoCS leader Francis Siah demanded Taib give a definite date on when he would step down.
Siah made this demand during a hastily arranged press conference held at a coffeeshop in Tabuan Jaya after the planned rally at the Museum Ground was scrapped in the last-minute.
According to several press reports, Siah said the agenda to press for the Chief Minister’s resignation would continue despite the change of name of the proposed rally and its subsequent cancellation.
From its original objective, the rally was changed to a `Walk for Democracy and Reform’, also dubbed as ‘Red Rally’.
Minos said MoCS’ way of doing things should be pooh-poohed by all Sarawakians.
“The politics of pressuring others and threatening others to do things against their will is totally alien and not acceptable in Sarawak.”
Minos also jested that MoCS was just like the Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP) in Sarawak as both like to make pompous statements which in the end made them the butt of jokes because what they said were just ‘hot air’.
Meanwhile, PBB supreme council member Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said there was no need for anyone, including MoCS, to demand the Chief Minister to step down.
“The CM had said previously that he will step down sometime after the (April 16) election, and we can assume that it can be anytime within the current term… It can be today…or four to five years from now.
“Whatever it is, we leave it to the CM to decide. Don’t exert pressure. The important thing is the state administration runs smoothly, and there is stability, strong economy, peace and prosperity.”
Abdul Karim also charged that MoCS were only good in making noises but failed to deliver in times of action, which was evident when the proposed rally was called off despite Siah saying it would continue even without a police permit.
“This group of people is never satisfied with anything. They would say everyone else is wrong but they are not even properly organised within their own group,” said Karim, who is also chief political secretary to the chief minister.