DAP S’wak fully backs proposal to nominate Shafie as opposition’s PM candidate

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Chong Chieng Jen – File photo

KUCHING: Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak fully supports a proposal to nominate Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal as the opposition’s candidate for premiership.

Its chairman Chong Chieng Jen believed that such proposal would resolve the ‘Mahathir-Anwar impasse’, which had persisted even more than three months after the fall of Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.

“The mistrust between the two and their factions are just too deeply rooted. On the other hand, (Prime Minister Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin) continues to consolidate the Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) ruling position.

“In such deadlock situation, very often, a third alternative will serve to break the impasse and allow all others to progress. We believe Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal can be such third alternative to break the impasse,” he said in a statement today.

Chong was responding to a statement by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday that he fully supported a proposal by Amanah, Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) and DAP to nominate Shafie as the prime minister candidate of the opposition.

Chong, who is Stampin MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, said Shafie had shown to be a leader who truly promoted religious freedom and racial harmony during his two-year governing of Sabah.

He believed that with Shafie as the next prime minister, it would be the best chance for Peninsular Malaysia to rebuild the harmonious racial and good inter-religious relationship of the past which remained the hallmark of Sabah and Sarawak.

The DAP lawmaker also believed that the East-West relationship and imbalanced development between East and West Malaysia would be improved with Shafie as the next prime minister.

“It will also facilitate the fight for more rights for the two East Malaysia states,” Chong said.