The leader of a Sarawak-based party has defended GPS secretary-general Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi following calls for his resignation as works minister over recent remarks on political infighting and federal-state relations.
Parti Bumi Kenyalang president Voon Lee Shan said Nanta’s comments, made during a radio interview, merely reflected the frustration felt by many Sarawakians over long-standing unresolved issues between East and West Malaysia.
Voon said there was no justification for Nanta stepping down from the federal Cabinet, stressing that the works minister had not violated the Federal Constitution nor disclosed any classified information.
Calls for Nanta’s resignation came from Perak DAP leader Abdul Aziz Bari, a former law professor, who argued that Cabinet ministers should not publicly express views that contradict the principle of collective Cabinet responsibility.
Responding to this, Voon said Nanta’s remarks highlighted widespread dissatisfaction in Sarawak after more than six decades of unresolved matters linked to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), particularly in areas involving development, autonomy and recognition.
“Expressing dissatisfaction or urging reflection on unresolved federal-state issues does not amount to sedition, nor does it automatically breach Cabinet solidarity,” Voon was quoted as saying by Dayak Daily.
In an interview with BFM radio last week, Nanta spoke about what he described as “constant quarrels and political bickering” in Peninsular Malaysia, which led him to question whether “we were ever meant to be one nation in the first place”.
“If we continue to quarrel over everything, then don’t blame us, don’t blame Sarawakians. If you don’t like us, just divorce us. Forget it,” Nanta said.
However, he stressed that as the grandson of the late Sarawak leader Jugah Barieng, a signatory to the Malaysia Agreement, he felt a responsibility to safeguard national unity.
“We must be respected and understood. We do not want to waste our time on bickering,” he said.
