GPS to choose Peninsular partner only after the elections

 

Alexander Nanta Linggi said the GPS principle was to decide after a general election, while Nancy Shukri said the post of deputy prime minister was not the main thing for now. (Facebook pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: Gabungan Parti Sarawak will wait until after the parliamentary general election before deciding which party it would choose to cooperate with, the coalition’s secretary-general Alexander Nanta Linggi said.

The choice would be of any party that could guarantee political stability in the country, he said. However, he did not name anyone.

In the 14th Parliament, now dissolved, GPS had 19 seats in the Dewan Rakyat and had been a member of the coalition government formed by Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The 19 GPS seats were from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (14), Parti Rakyat Sawarak (2) Progressive Democratic Party (2) and Sarawak United People’s Party (2).

Nanta, who is PBB secretary-general, said: “We in GPS want a stable federal government because we understand that it must be stable to drive the economy. Only then can we get out of the Covid-19 problems and focus on the people and the country’s economy.

“Based on this, I can say that GPS will work with any party that we can count on to create a stable government for the benefit of the country and the people.

‘DPM post not the main thing now’

PBB women’s wing vice-president Nancy Shukri said the demand for the post of deputy prime minister as a condition of support for Peninsular parties is not the main thing for now.

“We want to see political stability in the country first. It is not that the post is not important, it’s a big post, and it can be discussed later.

“When we get the solid support of the people and secure a big victory, we will have a bigger voice. Then we can propose to the federal government how the coalition can further strengthen Malaysia as a result of the support from Sarawak,” she said. - FMT