Dr. James Masing
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Dato Sri Dr James Masing said yesterday: “Any government formed by a group of turncoats will never be stable.” Anwar, the de facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Pakatan Rakyat, had been claiming for several months that he had the numbers to take over the government in September. After the March 8 polls, the BN government has 140 members of Parliament as against Pakatan Rakyat’s 82. For Anwar to take over the government, he would need at least 30 BN MPs to cross-over. Masing said any coalition members who hopped over to the opposition side of parliament would be committing a “betrayal of trust”. He felt that if Anwar were serious about forming a government he could wait until the next general election.
“The fact is that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is the duly elected leader of the country. Give him a chance and let him do his work. Until then he should serve his term as the duly elected leader. Anwar is just 61, what is another five years. He can seek the mandate of the people during the next general election. That is the proper thing to do,” said Masing, who is the Sarawak Land Development Minister. On Wednesday night, Sarawak BN chairman Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said Sarawakians felt offended when rumours surfaced of state BN members contemplating hopping to other parties for the sake of positions and other benefits.
“Sarawak people may have been poor at one time but I can tell you that we cannot be bought and we will not hop blindly when other people ask us to do so. I can assure the prime minister that the people of Sarawak will never forget what the BN leadership has done for our state,” he said at a dinner held in connection with the BN Elected Representatives’ Wives Annual Programme here, which was officiated by Abdullah. In turn, Abdullah assured that Sarawak would get more value-added development and thanked Sarawak for its continuous support for the ruling coalition.
“Tan Sri Taib said thank you to us but I must say this: You may thank us for whatever little things that we have done for you but I have to thank Sarawak for not forgetting the BN,” said Abdullah, who is the national BN chairman. Reacting to Abdullah’s comment, Masing said he was touched that the premier had acknowledged Sarawak’s support for the BN. “I hope the federal government will also reciprocate by giving us development projects that the state is in need of,” he said.
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