PUTRAJAYA, Sept 8 — Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said his statement urging PAS and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) not to contest at the Sarawak state elections (PRN) prior to this was in order to avoid a fight for seats with Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) which will simultaneously show that there is no spirit of unity in the government.

The Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) supreme council member, who is also Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Co-operatives (Medac), said as partners in a political movement, all the parties in the government should rightly back one another and not fight among themselves.

“For example, Umno has never contested in Sarawak in the past. Since, we have such a culture, I only mentioned the culture in reality.

“So, it is good if PAS and Bersatu don’t contest in Sarawak so that our relation is not only at the federal level but also at the state level in a more intimate and equitable condition,” he told reporters after launching the preliminary general meeting of Koperasi (MEDAC) Bhd, here, today.

Wan Junaidi said PAS and Bersatu leaders had also told him personally that they would not contest in Sarawak.

Asked on the statement of Sarawak PAS Commissioner Jofri Jaraiee who urged GPS to allocate several seats to PAS as a sign of co-operation in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, he said no one is barred from contesting because Malaysia is a democratic country.

“But if to some extent, there are contests, it means we are not together in our spirits to be united in the government,” he said.

Prior to this, Wan Junaidi was reported to have said that it was not apt for PAS and Bersatu to contest in the coming Sarawak out of respect for the co-operation at the federal level, but Jofri said equal opportunity should be given to the PAS’s candidates.

GPS is a coalition of four parties, namely, PBB, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Parti Demokratik Progresif (PDP) and Parti Rakyat Bersatu Sarawak (SUPP).

 

The Sarawak State Assembly would end in June next year after the 11th PRN was held on May 7, 2016. — Bernama