A screengrab showing Abang Johari delivering his speech.
SIBU (Nov 14): Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg today called on Sibu voters to give their undivided support to the coalition’s candidate Clarence Ting come polling day.
The Premier noted some quarters had called Ting a ‘reluctant candidate’, to which he said: “Yes, he is reluctant because he is not ‘Yang Berhormat’ but ‘Yang Bekerja’ (hardworking)”.
Abang Johari said he had contacted Ting prior to nomination to ask whether he would helpGPS win back the Sibu seat in the 15th General Election (GE15) and that he was chosen because he was a hardworking leader who has the welfare and interests of Sibu folk at heart.
“I asked him whether he can help Sibu. I told him that after all, he has been working very hard and he should bring the voices of Sibu folk to Parliament.
“But he turned (me) down. I again told him that if he loves Sibu folk, then he should fight for Sibu. Sibu ‘teruk’ (was in bad shape). The MPs and ADUNs (from opposition) talked a lot but never did much. Clarence doesn’t talk much but does a lot of work,” he said.
Abang Johari said during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ting worked very hard.
“He was not afraid of the virus – he said never mind, he wanted to help Sibu by providing food baskets and all that. That’s why I persuaded him and, in the end, he agreed (to contest). He agreed because he loves Sibu,” he said during a meet-the-people session at Ulu Sg Merah here on Monday night.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari said the GPS government has a long-term masterplan for Sibu’s further development, among which involved works to develop peat-soil areas in the town.
“We will engage foreign and local consultants for the redevelopment of Sibu. We will plan properly,” he said.
Abang Johari also extended his appreciation to those who had voted for GPS in the last state election. For the record, GPS recouped Dudong, Pelawan and Bukit Assek in the 2021 state election.
According to him, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) had sought the support of GPS after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad stepped down in early 2020.
“Nobody asked him to resign but he relinquished the post himself. Malaysia had no prime minister. Then the three candidates were Anwar Ibrahim, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Dr Mahathir himself who wanted the post again despite resigning.
“Dr Mahathir did not have enough MPs and neither did Anwar or Muhyiddin – so, they sought GPS’ support. DAP is in PH. DAP tried to ask GPS to support them and forget about the past.
“How can I forget when you said Sarawak would be bankrupt in three years? In the end, we supported Muhyiddin. That’s how Malaysia had a stable government under Muhyiddin.
“After that, there was another fight and we had to change another prime minister. They appointed Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri and GPS backed the decision,” he said.
Abang Johari said even the Pan Borneo Highway would have been completed had it not been for a change of federal government.
“The late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem was the one who made the (Pan Borneo) highway project happen. Adenan was behind it and with the support of the federal government, we started building it. Had it not been for a change of government, it would have been completed.
“Now, it is 90 per cent done and will be completed mid-2023. The one who caused the project to be slow was the PH government. It didn’t do according to schedule,” he said.
from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3hHzKfb
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment