READY TO ACT: Police personnel armed with machine guns stand guard outside the front gate of the chief minister’s residence. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
CLOSE WATCH: Police personnel conducting a roadblock along Jalan Bako leading to the chief minister’s residence yesterday.
STAY CLEAR: Idris (seated centre) speaking at a press conference at PBB headquarters yesterday. — Photos by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: PBB yesterday warned peninsula-based Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) to stay out of the state.
The party’s supreme council member Dato Idris Buang said SAMM’s alleged plan to stage a street protest called ‘Nyah Taib’ in front of the chief minister’s residence yesterday to get him to step down was “disrespectful and contemptuous” towards the state Barisan Nasional (BN).
“There is no way for SAMM to bring street politics and unethical political culture to Sarawak,” said Idris at PBB headquarters, which is just a stone’s throw from the chief minister’s residence.
Flanked by more than 100 PBB members and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), who called themselves ‘Gerak Gempur Ngap Sayot’, Idris said PBB would not let the state BN to be forcefully dethroned by any group or affiliated political parties using street tactics and other unethical means.
“We are holding strong to the universal law and the constitution, so if anyone wants to challenge the state government or the chief minister, do it during the election.”
He added that PBB, being the backbone of the state BN, had more than 300,000 members and more than one million supporters in the state who reject the political fiasco spun by SAMM and Pakatan Rakyat.
He also questioned the credibility of SAMM founder Badrul Hisham Shahrin, or known as Che’GuBard, who was born in Negeri Sembilan but stood and lost as a Pakatan candidate in Sungai Acheh, Pulau Pinang, during the last general election.
Idris said Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud had always been at the core of the state’s stable politics and development.
“Our beloved chief minister has also managed to upgrade the standard of living of all Sarawakians, regardless of race and religion. He is also elected unanimously by the BN component parties to become the chief minister to lead the state.”
Yesterday, members of the media waited patiently from 11.30am till 5pm outside the front gate of Taib’s residence, but no protesters showed up, only police personnel.