The chief minister said this would enable the BN state government to exert its power in asserting Sarawak’s rights over oil and gas, as part of the state’s efforts to recover its rights and power under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“We must be strong in Parliament. We must try as far as possible to get 31 seats. If we cannot get 31 seats, at least we must recapture a few seats from DAP.”
He said winning the seats was no longer in the interest of the individual component parties — Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Party Rakyat Sarawak and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) — but for the greater interest of the people of Sarawak.
He said this during a Chinese New Year celebration organised by Sibu SUPP at the Sibu Civic Centre here.
In the 13th general election in May 2013, DAP won five parliamentary seats, namely Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Sarikei, Lanang and Sibu, while PKR won the Miri seat. All of them were in predominantly Chinese urban areas.
Abang Johari said BN could win the seats if all of the component parties adopted inclusive policies and worked hard so that the people knew they were united and the effort being put in was meant for them.
He said this strategy was proven when BN, through SUPP, won the Batu Kitang and Batu Kawa state constituencies, which had been marked as black areas for BN, in the 11th Sarawak state election in May 2016.
Abang Johari said nobody could fight for Sarawak’s rights but Sarawakians themselves and, unlike the opposition, the heads of BN component parties in the state were Sarawakians.
“Who is DAP’s president? How many Sarawakians are there in its central executive committee? Only one … How then to fight for Sarawak?”
On SUPP, he said its president Dr Sim Kui Hian had managed to revive it to become the strong party it used to be.
He said its members must all set aside their differences and fully back Sim’s leadership in order for the party to win its seats in GE14.
He also said Sibu’s development could be revamped to make it a better place and help it catch up with other major towns in Sarawak if it was under BN.
With Sibu and Lanang parliamentary seats being represented by the opposition, it would be difficult to do so, he added.
Sibu MP Oscar Ling Chai Yew and Lanang MP Alice Lau Kiong Yieng are both from DAP.
Sarawak CM calls MA63 debate offer ‘stupid’, gets rebuked by Pandikar