KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) wants Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to appoint Sarawak MPs to fill the four full minister posts given to the state under the previous government.
Its Stakan branch chairman Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok said the appointment of Sarawak MPs as ministers would ensure that the state’s share of the national expenditure and policies were fair so as to bring meaningful and progressive development to the state and country.
“For the new prime minister to also consider (allocating) a Deputy Prime Minister post to us would be good too to show his appreciation for our support and as one of the forming partners of Malaysia.
“Even though the duration of this government might be short as we are expecting a general election after we have achieved herd immunity against the Covid-19 virus, this appointment of a deputy prime minister from Sarawak will show to all Sarawakians that, as a forming partner of Malaysia, we can also contribute to the running of our country in a very significant way apart from helping in nation-building with our natural resources such as our oil and gas,” he said.
Sim congratulated Ismail Sabri on his recent appointment as the ninth prime minister, noting that his appointment came at a challenging time with lives lost almost every day due to Covid-19.
He also commended the prime minister’s ‘Keluarga Malaysia’ concept as a good theme for all to focus as one family and one country which is united to face any challenges and adversities going forward as a nation.
“Our Sarawak government is always supporting the stability of our country especially in our politics so that progress can be achieved without any disruption and uncertainty.
“Our support for the new Prime Minister will reap benefits of both governments working together, bringing more development and economic growth when we start to ‘live with Covid-19’,” he said.
Sim said the war against Covid-19 was most important now in order to preserve lives and livelihood. He added that the economic exit plan must be well planned and executed to save as many jobs and businesses as possible when the country surfaces from the National Recovery Plan.
In the previous federal Cabinet under former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the four Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) MPs appointed as full ministers were Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof (Works Minister); Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (Tourism, Arts and Culture); Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives) and Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi (Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs).
