KUALA LUMPUR – Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is now staying away from the prime minister race, said its chief Datuk Abang Johari Openg.
“We are leaving it to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to decide. We leave this to the wisdom of the king.”
He was quoted as saying this at a groundbreaking ceremony in Miri earlier today.
Currently, GPS is convening ahead of the 4pm deadline imposed on MPs to submit SDs to Istana Negara.
On the other hand, Santubong MP Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told Free Malaysia Today that GPS will back Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the prime minister candidate.
“We have agreed in principle to support Ismail Sabri to become prime minister, but our SDs will only be dispatched after our GPS meeting this afternoon,” he was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, sources in a component party told The Vibes that the state ruling coalition, with 18 MPs, will not back opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for the top job.
Sarawak has a total of 31 parliamentary seats.
“All this while, GPS has made known its stance that it is friendly to the Perikatan Nasional coalition.
“Ismail Sabri, who is from Umno, was part of the PN government, so GPS will support him as the candidate for the PM post.
“Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg is not going to rock the boat, and so GPS will not support Anwar.”
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party information chief Adam Yii this week told The Vibes that GPS will maintain the status quo of being PN-friendly.
Yii said GPS had maintained that it backs PN and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin before his resignation as prime minister on Monday.
Muhyiddin is now caretaker prime minister. – The Vibes, August 18, 2021
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