KUCHING: Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has turned down his appointment as deputy national unity minister, says the party's secretary-general Datuk Nelson Balang.
He said the PDP supreme council decided in a meeting on Monday (March 9) that Tiong should not take up the post after the Cabinet line-up was announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
"Tiong is the president of PDP, a component party of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). He is also a five-term MP.
"Strictly abiding to the concept of power-sharing and in view of his seniority, this should qualify him to be a candidate for a full minister.
"That is why the supreme council decided that he should not take up the post," Balang said when contacted on Tuesday (March 10).
The Bintulu MP was absent when the new ministers and deputy ministers were sworn in at Istana Melawati in Putrajaya Tuesday (March 10) afternoon.
Tiong has yet to comment on the issue.
PDP is a component party of state coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), which gave its support to Muhyiddin to become prime minister in the recent political upheaval.
Four ministers from PBB, the biggest party in GPS, were named by Muhyiddin in his Cabinet, along with seven deputy ministers from PBB, PDP, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and two independent MPs who quit PKR to support Muhyiddin.
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