Sarawak wants political stability and unity to benefit all communities, rather than being centred solely on Malay parties in Peninsular Malaysia, says Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Karim said people in Sarawak and Sabah had become increasingly uncomfortable with political developments in the peninsula, particularly the perception that race and religion were influencing the country’s political direction.
He said political leaders should move beyond racial and religious considerations when deciding who should lead Malaysia, noting that many political parties in both the peninsula and Borneo were established along racial or religious lines in the 1950s and 1960s.
“After more than 60 years of Merdeka, there should not be too much focus on race,” the Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister told FMT.
However, Karim stressed that Sarawak did not want to see disunity among Malays, saying political stability should not be defined solely by unity among Malay parties.
“We would love to see stability and togetherness not just among Malay parties in Malaya but also among parties that represent the other races and religious groups,” he said.
The Asajaya assemblyman was responding to remarks by Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who told the party’s general assembly that disunity among Malays could weaken the confidence of Sabah and Sarawak leaders in the leadership of West Malaysia.
Khaled had said East Malaysian leaders were not merely watching divisions among Malays but were also questioning whether West Malaysians should continue to be entrusted with leading the country.
Karim said political instability in Peninsular Malaysia would have implications for the entire country, including Sabah and Sarawak.
“An unstable Malaya would lead to an unstable Malaysia, and this will also affect Sabah and Sarawak’s future development, especially in our relationship with foreign countries,” he said.
He urged political leaders in the peninsula to better understand the concerns of Sabah and Sarawak, while stressing that both states were equal partners in the Malaysian federation.
Karim acknowledged that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), due to its relatively small number of parliamentary seats, could not determine on its own who should lead the federal government.
However, he said GPS remained an important partner for political parties in the peninsula seeking support to form the federal government.
“GPS is very united and that probably makes the disunited Malayan parties want to court us — to increase their support to form the national government.
“We will act as the ‘stabiliser’ for who should lead Malaysia,” he said.
