Dr M: Pakatan Govt stronger in Parliament thanks to support from Sarawak and Terengganu

TOKYO: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic) said Pakatan Harapan now has very strong support in Parliament.

He said this was because the parties that had pulled out from Barisan Nasional in Sarawak had pledged its support for Pakatan.

"They are not members of Pakatan but they have pledged support for us. So now, we have very strong support in Parliament because even Terengganu (which is run by PAS) has said it would support us," he told Malaysian reporters here on Tuesday (June 12).

This comes following the decision by Sarawak Barisan Nasional's component parties to pull out of the former ruling coalition to form a new state-based pact.

Sarawak Chief Minister and PBB president Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg announced the decision after chairing a meeting of the four party leaders on Tuesday (June 12).

"The component parties of Sarawak Barisan, namely PBB, SUPP, PRS and PDP, have made a unanimous decision to leave Barisan and to form a new coalition of Sarawak-based parties, known as Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

"The decision was made after much deliberation, reflection and due consideration, taking into account the country's current political developments post-GE14," he said.

Abang Johari said GPS was not joining Pakatan Harapan but would "cooperate and collaborate" with the Federal Government for the national interest and state rights based on the Federal Constitution and the Federation of Malaysia.

"We are not joining the Pakatan coalition. We will have our own bloc and we will remain in the Opposition in Parliament," he said.

Moving forward from GE14, he said, it was "timely and appropriate" for Sarawak to have a new political platform in line with the changing aspirations, needs and demands of Sarawakians.

"Our new coalition will enable us to focus on Sarawak interests and rights based on the Malaysia Agreement," said Abang Johari.