CM: State election victory will propel S’wak to greatness

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Abang Johari delivers his speech during the closing ceremony of the convention. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi

KUCHING: Victory for Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in the next state election will pave the way for a ‘bigger agenda’ for Sarawak, says Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.

Abang Johari, who is GPS chairman, said the coming election, which is due in 2021, would be ‘very important’ for GPS in his closing speech at the inaugural GPS Convention at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) yesterday.

“We might even become the strongest state in Malaysia, and the nation would depend on us (Sarawak). But we must win. We cannot lose to David Copperfield (referring to Pakatan Harapan).

“When is the election, even I don’t know, but we must be prepared to defend our state and our rights. This is what we have been trusted with so if we love our state, we must work hard and defend Sarawak before Sarawak is conquered by outsiders.”

Touching on the inaugural convention, Abang Johari said that it depicted how GPS was developing the state with its own mould.

“Our aim is to achieve developed state status by 2030 under a state government that has been chosen by Sarawakians. So the convention touched on the direction of the state’s economic development, land issues as well as powers and rights under the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he said.

Over 5,000 representatives from four component parties, namely Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), attended the convention.

PRS president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, SUPP president Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and deputy chief ministers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan were among those present.