Best for Sarawak parties to cooperate with federal government - analyst
By Robert Kenneth
KUCHING, May 17 (Bernama) -- A political analyst says it would be best for Sarawak ruling political parties to be united in a group and cooperate with the federal government to safeguard and promote the legitimate interests of the state.
Datuk Peter Minos, who is chairman of the Bung Bratak Heritage Association and former deputy information chief of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), said all political parties should respect the people who had spoken through the ballot.
"Now that the federal government is in Pakatan Harapan hands after the people had freely spoken, we must respect the voice of the people and also the prime minister (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) and the federal government.
"No way must we fight the prime minister and the federal government. We, in Sarawak, must cooperate with Putrajaya as one united group to make the Sarawak voice heard and heeded," he told Bernama.
Minos said Sarawak parties could also consider going the way of Parti Warisan Sabah in the neighbouring state.
Warisan, led by Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal who is now the Sabah chief minister, had forged cooperation with Pakatan Harapan going into the general election on May 9.
Minos also said that it was good to hear that the ruling Sarawak parties might establish a state-based coalition of political parties to carry on their struggle of safeguarding and promoting the legitimate interests of Sarawak.
The interests included the devolution of the powers Sarawak held as provided for in the Malaysia Agreement 1963, having greater revenue from the state´s oil and gas facilities, use of the English language, and safeguarding the existing rights over land, timber and other natural resources, he said.
-- BERNAMA
