Dr James Jemut Masing
KUCHING: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will not support a political coalition with Democratic Action Party (DAP) in it, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing.
This is because of DAP’s “administrative arrogance”, and how its leaders did not listen to people other than their own members and supporters, he said.
“The problem with DAP is they seem to have this administrative arrogance, I call it. They won’t listen to us, they just do what they think serves them. They do whatever pleases them.
“One example I give you is when (Finance Minister) Lim Guan Eng came to Sarawak last year he announced that Sarawak will go bankrupt within three years. That to me is very irresponsible of him as Finance Minister because whatever he says as Finance Minister has a very big impact on the economy of the state. So we are not very happy.
“That was irresponsible of him, and that to us in Sarawak is administrative arrogance by DAP to say so,” he told Astro Awani’s Consider This programme on Friday night (Feb 28).
Masing was asked what were the conditions imposed by GPS to support whoever the next prime minister will be, following the ongoing political crisis which began last Sunday after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned as prime minister.
The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president, a component of GPS, pointed out three conditions GPS has set for it to support the next prime minister.
One is national interest, second is the coalition must not include DAP, and third is the interests of Sarawak, especially on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), must be given attention to, he listed.
Masing said GPS wanted the MA63 to be included in the Federal Constitution, and Sarawak to be given a larger share of revenue from its oil and gas.
“Petronas must be more liberal to our interests because that revenue from Petronas will keep Sarawak alive and develop our infrastructure.
“We are so far behind West Malaysia, so Petronas must be kind to us and look at us in a kinder light, and that is one of the conditions we request from whoever the next prime minister will be,” he said.
Masing also hopes that the next prime minister would consider giving important ministerial posts to Sarawakian MPs in the upcoming federal cabinet.
“Of course we will talk with the would-be prime minister, and hopefully he will consider our request (for federal minister posts). At the moment I cannot say what position we want (in cabinet) but we will discuss it on Sunday and decide what position Sarawak needs the most,” he said.
GPS MPs and leaders will converge in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow (March 1) to discuss who to support as the next prime minister.