KUCHING: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) will continue to not only preserve and strengthen the unity within the party, but also among the people irrespective of race and religion.
Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, who is the president of PBB – the state Barisan Nasional (BN)’s backbone party – believes that the strength of Sarawak lies within PBB.
“PBB has a long history and it has seen the effect of disunity among the people. As such, our struggle in PBB will continue not only for the party, but also for all Sarawakians within the context of the Federation of Malaysia.
“That is why we (in PBB) will preserve and strengthen the unity within the PBB, among the Bumiputeras and also work with the non-Bumiputeras – this will be our culture.
“Now the Bumiputera (section) works with the Pesaka (section in PBB) – maybe one day, we will extend this to all other ethnic groups. We work with our friends from the Chinese community and at the end of the day, the whole Sarawakians will be united,” the chief minister said at a Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering at a hotel here on Thursday night.
Abang Johari said he was grateful that the attempt to disunite PBB in 1987 ‘was futile’ – instead, the party had become even stronger than before.
On this, he pointed out that present Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and former deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu were PBB leaders who had played prominent roles in keeping the party intact.
On a related subject, Abang Johari stressed that PBB must also master information and communication technology (ICT) in line with the changing times.
Meanwhile, the chief minister reiterated his pursuit of reclaiming the rights of Sarawak under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) that had been eroded like what his predecessor, the late Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem had focused on.
“That is why I’m sending Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring, Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali and her team to London to find out what had not been written (in the MA63),” he said, adding that the state is all prepared with facts.
He said the negotiation on MA63 was between the state and federal governments – in this regard, no other states should interfere.
Abang Johari also pointed out that he introduced the ‘Digital Economy’ vision because 60 per cent of the state’s population comprised those aged 50 and below – the group whom he described as the ‘actual engine of growth and well-versed in ICT, those who prepare the state for greater economic growth’.
Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan who are also PBB deputy presidents, State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar who is also PBB permanent chairman, Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, and Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin were among those attending the get-together.