LUNDU, Nov 24 — Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg today said the people’s interests and rights will not be protected if "other people” take over the state government in the coming Sarawak state election.

He said these people are too busy fighting among themselves for positions, ‘like who should be the eighth prime minister’ and will not have time to look into state affairs.

"So, we should not expect others to protect our interests and rights, except ourselves,” he said at the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of Batang Rambungan bridge, near here.

"Let us protect ourselves under GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) because we are the ones who can decide our own destiny,” he said.

Abang Johari was commenting about a call by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the state PKR convention in Miri yesterday in which he urged the state leadership council to work together to ensure that Pakatan Harapan (PH) wins the Sarawak state election, which could be held in the first half of 2021.

He also reminded all the branches to strengthen the party to face the state election.

Abang Johari, who is also GPS chairman and PBB president, reminded voters that outsiders would come frequently to Sarawak to win their support in the run-up to a state election.

He said Sarawakians will be doomed if they trust the outsiders to run the state.

On the coming state election, he said he does not know when it will be held.

"You will have to wait when the drum will be struck,” he said.

The construction of the RM98.5 million Batang Rambungan bridge is expected to be completed within 36 months.

When completed, it will link Lundu and Sempadi with Kuching.

Batang Rambungan bridge is among the bridge projects approved to be financed by the previous federal Barisan Nasional government, but were later cancelled by the Pakatan Harapan federal government.

The state government, however, decided to proceed with the bridge projects using its own funds.