Wong Soon Koh
KUCHING (March 19): Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh is urging Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to demand that Putrajaya retract the appeal against the court ruling in favor of allowing Sabah and Sarawak to use the word ‘Allah’ without any conditions.
He said PSB will give its full support to Abang Johari if he makes the move to fight for Sarawak’s rights.
“I hereby ask that the chief minister put his words into action. I urge him to stand his ground with Putrajaya, and strongly demand that they retract the appeal against the court ruling in favor of allowing Sabah and Sarawak to use the ‘Allah’ term without any conditions.
“I also wish to express PSB’s full support for the chief minister to do the right thing. We will absolutely stand behind Datuk Patinggi on this issue – no politics, no rhetoric – just fighting for the rights of our Sarawak,” Wong said in a statement today.
Earlier in the statement, he lauded Abang Johari for his commitment to defend Sarawak’s religious tolerance in a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) yesterday (March 18).
“His words should be lauded and remembered by all Sarawakians,” said Wong.
However, Wong said he disagreed with the statement saying that certain quarters were politicising the issue in view of the impending state elections.
“The threat to Sarawak’s religious freedom is a real and present danger to us all, each and every Sarawakian. Our very own way of life and the very thread of our unity is being ripped apart as we speak.
“Religious freedom is not a matter to be politicised, but one that must be defended at all costs,” he said.
Wong recalled that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has 18 MPs and had more than once declared that they were the kingmakers of Putrajaya.
Together with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) with 11 members, he said this was close to 30 per cent or one-third of the voting power of the current administration.
“With such power in hand, what use is it to Sarawakians if we continue to reaffirm our commitment to religious freedom but do not much else?” he questioned.
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