KUCHING: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) Youth leadership unanimously agrees to leave it to the wisdom of the Chief Minister to resolve the issue of non-GPS parties fishing GPS members into their ranks.
However, the youth leaders said they will not condone or accept non-GPS members in the state cabinet who are enjoying the privileges and resources of the GPS government, yet pinching away GPS component members, thereby promoting confusion and disunity in the coalition.
The consensus was made in a meeting preceding a press conference where the leaders of all four components met the press to issue their joint statement to the media.
The meeting was necessitated by a recent event of Party Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) members, current and former, leaving the party to join Party Bersatu Sarawak (PSB), a “GPS-friendly” party led by state cabinet member Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh and Assistant Minister Datuk Jerip Susil.
The youth wing lambasted PSB for its “act of enmity towards the coalition”, which the movement feels is “making a mockery of the coalition and its relationship with the newly renamed party”.
The youth wing’s response came following news that Sri Aman MP Datuk Masir Kujat together with other former PRS leaders, namely Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun and Datuk William Nyallau had joined PSB.
Pointing out that GPS’ core principles were based on unity and cooperation within and between component parties, the wing said GPS will continue with efforts to unite Sarawakians and to fight for a better future for Sarawak.
It voiced its unhappiness with the newly rebranded party’s actions, saying these were not in line with the core principle of cooperation practised by GPS.
On the contrary, what PSB did was promoting infighting and disunity, it added.
On its own, the wing said its focus is to work at building a strong and dedicated local-based political alliance to safeguard Sarawak’s rights and interests, not to divide.
It said the youth wing’s struggle is in line with GPS’ core mission of Sarawak First, which is underlined by its efforts to pursue all rights as per the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
The wing said its leaders are unanimous in that they will “stand united and firm and will confront and defend against any attempt to divide GPS”.
It said a divided GPS will destroy the political stability and expose Sarawak to outside forces.
