James Masing
KUCHING: The admission of another five parties into the Sarawak political scene may cause confusion and lead to instability in the state, says Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing.
Commenting on the approval of five new parties in the state, he believed the decision made by Registar of Societies was on based on the principle that Malaysia is a liberal society which recognised freedom of associations.
“But I need to point out that such freedom must be exercised with restraint and the need to maintain political stability in mind.
“As it stands, Sarawak is getting crowded with so many political parties which may cause confusion amongst the people and hence instability,” he said yesterday.
Singling out PBDS Baru, he said this new party which aims to replace the old PBDS is now entering a very crowded and difficult political arena.
“I wish them all the best. May the best win,” he said, alluding to the point that Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) of which he is the president – had taken over the role of the now defunct PBDS.
Meanwhile, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) deputy president Datuk Richard Riot concurred with Masing that the approval of the new political parties reflected the practice of democracy in the country.
He said as far as he was concerned, SUPP should not feel threatened by the five new parties as it still had its core supporters.
“It doesn’t matter if there are 100 parties, well that’s democracy. SUPP will still remain relevant in serving the people in Sarawak,” said Riot, who is also Human Resources Minister in the federal cabinet. - theborneopost
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