Ronald Kiandee…They want to plagiarise Sarawak’s policy, without taking into account its political background.
KUALA LUMPUR : – State Perikatan Nasional’s head Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee has accused Sabah politicians of copying Sarawak’s policy by pushing for its state polls to be contested only by local parties.
Kiandee, however, said leaders in Sabah who want to mimic their Sarawakian counterparts do not fully understand the intricacies of their neighbour’s political landscape.
As a result, their agenda has left many Sabahans confused, he claimed.
“They want to plagiarise Sarawak’s policy, without taking into account its political background,” said Kiandee, pointing out that Sarawak has always been ruled by a local party.
Founded in 1973, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu has led Sarawak for over 50 years. It is the lynchpin of Gabungan Parti Sarawak, the state’s ruling coalition.
Asked whether PN, which comprises national parties, was able to counter such narratives, Kiandee said: “Some of the leaders (in Sabah) who are hyping up this concept of reserving the contest for local parties are in fact graduates of national parties.”
Last year, the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) called for all 73 state constituencies to be contested solely by local parties.
The policy, aimed at preserving Sabah’s autonomy, saw the party led by former chief minister Yong Teck Lee quit PN.
The idea has also received the backing of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR).
However, Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor was reported as saying that Sabah could not emulate the Sarawakian policy as there was a need for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah to collaborate with its allies, which include national parties.
Kiandee, the Beluran MP, said PN will not lose sleep over the matter. He expressed confidence that the state’s “mature and pragmatic” voters would choose their government based on manifestos and not concepts.
“Right now they (proponents of the ‘local parties only’ policy) are peddling this concept to tap into local sentiment, but Sabah needs leaders who can administer and manage its issues. This is more important.”
‘Palui’ remark won’t affect Bersatu’s support
On a separate matter, Kiandee was confident Bersatu would not lose support over a recent incident which saw the party’s deputy president Hamzah Zainudin utter the word “palui” (stupid), which he subsequently retracted.
Detractors have claimed that the word was aimed at Sabahans generally but Sabah Bersatu says it was directed at the state government over its failure to resolve frequent water and power supply disruptions and the poor road conditions.
“Apart from the rising cost of living and poverty in the state, these three issues are things the Sabah government cannot deny,” said Kiandee, who is also the Bersatu vice-chairman. FMT
