Pending assemblyman Violet Yong described this kind of sentiment as “unhealthy” as it would only divide the people and provoke hatred among Sarawakians towards those in the peninsula, particularly the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.

“GPS used to refer to the peninsula and the PH government as ‘Malaya’ but we are all Malaysians.

“We all have ICs and Malaysian passports. Are they (GPS) saying that they have their own passports?

“Don’t play with this sort of sentiment. They’re only saying this to serve their own political agenda.

“No one is stopping them from reclaiming the state’s rights but don’t be too egoistic, portraying the situation as though they have a higher status compared with others. We are all equal partners,” she told FMT.

Yong said the people had exercised their rights and chosen PH as the ruling government at the federal level. Therefore, GPS leaders should respect the government of the day.

“I don’t understand why they keep on blaming the federal government. They won’t say a word when we provide them allocations or did something good for them.

“They don’t need to say ‘thank you’ but at least show some appreciation instead of keeping on criticising the PH government.”

For example, she said the PH government had taken the initiative to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to restore Sabah and Sarawak’s rights but the Sarawak government had chosen to turn it down and let Sarawak remain as the 13th state in Malaysia.

Yong said this following her Facebook posting yesterday, in which she described GPS and its supporters as hypocrites for referring to the PH government as “Malaya” but yet happily using Malaysian ICs, passports and money.

Her post, so far, has received close to 100 comments from netizens.

Umno Supreme Council member Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who shared her post, described it as the most “imbecilic” statement from a DAP leader.