KUCHING, Oct 24 — Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) vice president Datuk John Sikie Tayai today said the offer to name a deputy prime minister from Sarawak must not be accepted without evaluation.

"We have to look at it first... we have to study it. We cannot just accept or reject it,” he told reporters.

"Personally, if it is good, why not take it? If it is not good, why should we take it?” Sikie, who is also the minister in the Premier’s Department, said after opening a workshop on the handling of native court cases here.

He was asked to respond to the proposals made by Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of a deputy prime minister’s spot for the Sarawak and Sabah in return for their support in the 15th general election (GE15).

Sikie said PRS is hoping to win all the six seats it will contest in GE15, including the three it lost in the 2018 general election

"We try our best. We want people to work together with us. GPS is a good government so why not choose it,” he said.

He urged the people not to look at the candidates as representatives of PRS, PBB, SUPP or PDP, but as GPS candidates, when they cast their votes on November 19.

Sikie said he did not know if PRS president Datuk Joseph Salang would be contesting in Julau, the seat he lost to former Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president Datuk Larry Sng in 2018.

He said he also did not know if incumbent independent Lubok Antu member of parliament Jugah Muyang would be seeking re-election on GPS ticket as a representative of PRS.

"The only who can say who can stand on the GPS ticket and where is the premier and GPS chairman Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg,” he said.

Sikie said he was not aware if PRS candidate list has been submitted to Abang Johari.