KUCHING: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) veteran Dato Peter Minos has condemned DAP Sarawak’s pledge to nominate a Dayak to be the chief minister if Pakatan Rakyat formed the next state government as nothing more than an instigation tactic .
He said DAP Sarawak has once again used this ‘hasut’ or instigation tactic just to cook up any issue that incite and excite the people since it was eyeing the coming 11th state election to be held in 2016 or even earlier.
“It seems to me that all the Peninsula-based opposition parties are too keen and too open with racial politics knowing full well that this will most likely bring about ill-feeling among the races.
“I am a Dayak but I do not buy DAP’s idea because it is inherently racial and does not bring anything good to me or Sarawak. Maybe Sarawakians should say and show their repulsion of DAP’s politics of extreme instigation,” he said when contacted yesterday.
DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen had told reporters after the party had come to a unanimous decision on appointing a Dayak as Chief Minister after observing the unfair practice of Barisan Nasional (BN) all these years.
Another reason, according to Chong, that prompted the party to make the resolution was the appointment of Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem as Chief Minister following Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s resignation, having bypassed the Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Patinggi Alfred Jabu Numpang who is a Dayak.
Chong also reasoned it was only right for a Dayak to be elected as Chief Minister as they are the most populous race in Sarawak.
Minos, who was formerly deputy to Adenan when the latter was PBB information chief, in defence of BN said anyone and any member of any race, if good and wise, could be the Chief Minister of Sarawak, provided the democratic process through party and election systems were met.
“Tan Sri Adenan has won his state seat, and PBB being the biggest party in Sarawak, wanted him (to lead the state). So why bring the issue of race? Why make the Dayaks jittery by instigating them?”
Minos also cited BN’s big majority win in the Balingian by-election last Saturday as show of Sarawakians’ approval of Adenan as chief minister.
He said the big votes for BN showed that Sarawakians were happy that Adenan made a strong stand against Umno’s entry into Sarawak, his assurances over religious freedom, his backing for reconciliation efforts for SPDP and SUPP and the shutting of door to extremists and bigots.