Sabah PH chair Christina Liew says she was encouraged by Sarawak PH, which has also issued a statement asking for this post.
Sabah PH chairperson Christina Liew said the proposal had been forwarded to PH chief secretary Saifuddin Abdullah when he visited Sabah recently. (facebook pic)
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairperson Christina Liew has vowed to continue pushing for a second deputy prime minister post to take care of Sabah and Sarawak affairs.
The post, which was proposed in the Sabah PH manifesto last year, was not announced by the new Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad when announcing his first batch of cabinet ministers this week.
Currently, there is only one deputy prime minister, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
“I regret that I don’t see it (the second DPM post) but we will be pushing for it,” she said when met after a breaking-of-fast event organised by the tourism, culture and environment ministry here today.
Liew, who is also Sabah deputy chief minister, said she was pleased to see that the Sarawak PH was also pushing for the same issue.
She said she will ensure the promise will eventually be fulfilled, if not this term, in the next one.
Liew, who is also the state tourism, culture and environment minister, explained that the proposal was actually mooted locally and forwarded to the PH chief secretary Saifuddin Abdullah when he was visiting Sabah.
“The point is we are not like any other states. We are three partners — Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya,” she said.
Liew admitted Mahathir never said anything about a second deputy prime minister post and only heard about it from Saifuddin.
“Hopefully, in the next election, or soon in the future, we will be able to achieve this aim. Now that Sabah and Sarawak have both voiced out on this matter, let’s see what is going to happen,” she said.
Other than the second deputy prime minister post for Sabah and Sarawak, the Sabah PH manifesto had also promised to return 50% of federal revenues collected in Sabah back to the state and to act on the findings of the royal commission of inquiry into illegal immigrants in Sabah. -FMT
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