Sarawak PH chief whacked over support for Anwar’s bid to be PM

“Our main agenda is for Anwar to be the country’s next prime minister,” said Sarawak Pakatan Harapan chairman Chong Chieng Jen.

(FMT) – Sarawak Pakatan Harapan chairman Chong Chieng Jen has drawn flak for saying the main item on the state opposition’s agenda is to see Anwar Ibrahim succeed Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister.

Milton Foo, the secretary-general of SUPP Youth, said Chong’s declaration showed that Sarawak PH’s primary struggle was not for the rights and interests of Sarawakians.

“The fox has finally peeped out its tail,” he said.

Chong, who is deputy minister of domestic trade and consumer affairs, made his statement in an address at Sarawak PH’s Chinese New Year celebration early this month.

“Our main agenda is for Anwar to be the country’s next prime minister,” he said. “This is why we have decided to invite Anwar to this event today.”

Foo told FMT he believed Sarawakians could now see Sarawak PH’s true colours.

He said Chong’s statement had nullified the promises the state opposition had made to the people of Sarawak.

PBB vice-president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said Chong had exposed himself as an opportunist.

“Knowing that Anwar might be the country’s next prime minister, he is already playing his card by openly showing his support for Anwar,” he told FMT.

“Chong is probably hoping that he’ll be made a full minister in the event Anwar becomes the next prime minister.”

Meanwhile, Karim said there is no rush to hold state elections after an assistant minister commented that this year may be a good time to have the polls.

He said Sarawak is politically stable and it is not necessary to hold elections this year.

The Sarawak state assembly’s term expires in June next year, and elections must be held within the following 90 days.

However the chief minister has the prerogative to request for earlier elections.

State assistant minister Abdul Rahman Junaidi recently said he was confident the elections would be held before the Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Gawai celebrations in late May and early June respectively.