MIRI – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and leaders of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) have been taken to task for indirectly threatening to halt the state’s development projects if voters choose a government that is different from the central government.
State Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) information chief Abun Sui told The Vibes today that such tactics are getting very blatant.
“The PM (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob) himself came to Sarawak (yesterday) and threatened that the federal government will not be able to give development allocations to Sarawak if the people of Sarawak voted in a state government that is not on the side of the federal government.
“At various functions in Kuching that he attended, the PM very openly told the people they must vote for the GPS and no other party.
“He said the federal government gives allocations to Sarawak because GPS is a friendly partner and if Sarawakians voted for the ‘wrong parties’, they will not get federal help.
“We in Sarawak PKR are shocked to hear this coming from the PM himself who devised the Keluarga Malaysia slogan.
“He was openly threatening Sarawak voters and blackmailing all of us,” Sui said.
The Miri-based lawyer also said that his party has received complaints that GPS politicians are also going around using similar tactics in the rural constituencies.
“These GPS politicians are also telling the longhouse and kampung folks that if they vote for the opposition, they will lose all government allocations.
“This is also a form of threat and blackmail, and such tactics cannot be allowed.
“A public election is an exercise of democracy where voters are allowed their freedom to vote for the one they choose.
“They cannot be threatened and be forced by fear,” said Sui, urging for the Election Commission to put a stop to such unsavoury tactics before the campaign is kicked off on nomination day tomorrow. – The Vibes, December 5, 2021
