Chong Chieng Jen
KUCHING: The Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak fully supports former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s proposal to nominate Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri
Mohd Shafie Apdal as the opposition’s prime ministerial candidate.
Stampin MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen believed that such proposal, upon being realised, would resolve the ‘Mahathir-Anwar Impasse’ that had persisted for more than three months after the fall of Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led federal government.
“The mistrust between the two and their respective factions are just too deeply rooted. On the other hand, (present Prime Minister Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin) continues to consolidate the Perikatan Nasional (PN) ruling position, and bring down several of the PH-led state governments.
“In such a deadlock situation, very often a third alternative would serve to break the impasse and allow others to progress.
“We believe Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal can be that ‘third alternative’,” said Chong, who is also DAP Sarawak chairman, in a statement issued yesterday.
For the record, Shafie is also the president of Parti Warisan Sabah.
Adding on, Chong noted that Shafie had quit Umno before the 14th general election (GE14) in 2018, and despite being persecuted after that, he had stood his ground.
“He (Shafie) then led Warisan and went all out against BN in GE14.”
Chong said Shafie-led Warisan helped form the ‘PH Plus government’ after the 2018 polls.
The DAP Sarawak chief also hailed Shafie as a leader ‘truly promoting religious freedom and racial harmony’
throughout his two years of governing Sabah.
Chong believed that with Shafie being the next prime minister, it would be the best chance for Peninsular Malaysia to rebuild the ‘harmonious racial and good inter-religious relationships of the
past, which have remained the hallmark of Sabah and Sarawak’.
“It has always been the sore point in the hearts of most East Malaysians that we have been neglected over the half century since the birth of Malaysia. Such sentiment has even led to the secession movement in the two East Malaysian states,” he said.
Thus, Chong believed that the ‘East-West relationship and imbalanced development between East and West Malaysia’ would be improved, ‘with Shafie Apdal becoming the next prime minister’.
“It will also facilitate the fight for more rights for the two East Malaysian states,” added
Chong.