Don’t be bothered by speculations: Jabu
October 8, 2009, Thursday
KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu yesterday brushed aside the formation of a supposed Sarawak’s latest political party Pakatan Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) as mere rumour.He said the people should not be bothered by such speculative rumours as reported in the media.
“We don’t deal with speculations….Our stand is not to panic. It’s not a threat to us,” he told reporters here when asked to comment on the formation of PRM.
Jabu, the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president, said in the Batang Ai by-elections, Pakatan Rakyat leaders were confident of winning the state seat but at the end failed.
He said as far as he was concerned, PRM could join its fellow opposition counterparts namely PKR, Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Sa-Islam Malaysia (PAS) and be the government that “convened under a tree”.
“We don’t deal with rumours and rumour mongers,” he pointed out, adding that only time would tell whether or not PRM would be a reality and problem to BN.
It was reported yesterday that talks were rife that a new political party would be launched on Oct 15. It was claimed that its promoters had deliberately formed the party under the name PRM to prevent Pakatan Rakyat, the opposition alliance, from officially registering their name with the Registrar of Societies.
Rumours had it that a senior member of the PKR state leadership council who was once a leader in the defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak was taking the lead. Another former PBDS leader, Dato Sng Chee Hua, was also said to be backing the formation of the new party.
Sng when contacted yesterday denied he was financing the formation of a new political party. The businessman, who was once an elected representative, said he is now out of politics.
“I am too old, and I am now out of politics. It (the new party) must be the work of other people,” he told The Borneo Post.
Meanwhile, former president of PBDS Dato Sri Daniel Tajem said he also heard of the new party since last Sunday when he was having breakfast with friends.
In a telephone interview, he went on to say that he also heard several people being offered the posts of principal office bearers in the party.
To a question, Tajem said he would not be interested to join the party even if somebody were to offer him.
“I’m taking a ‘holiday’ from politics now. If they contact me, I will say, ‘just leave me out’,” he said.
