KUCHING: The next prime minister must be aware of the special rights of Sarawak and Sabah, said Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice president stated that the special rights must be protected and should not be diminished.
“These special rights which are enshrined in the constitution have been diminishing for the last 50 years but we have been trying to gain them back.
“We can see that during the last one year and a half when Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was the prime minister, he was sympathetic to us. We were able to get a number of those special rights back.
“Therefore, I hope that whoever succeeds after him will continue to ensure that Sabah and Sarawak get their special rights. The states’ interests must be protected,” he said today (Aug 17).
Abdul Karim who is also the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, pointed out that the country continued to function properly under the purview of the efficient civil service body despite the absence of the executive branch.
“I believe that Yang di-Pertuan Agong will be meeting with party leaders for perhaps an interview to see who will be able to get majority votes from the MPs.
“It could be a new or an old leader and perhaps even Muhiyddin himself if all MPs are still agreeable with him. I think there is nothing wrong with him being reappointed as the prime minister,” he said.
Abdul Karim added that whoever should become the prime minister must remember that he was like a father figure who must take care of all the states under his administration fairly.
