Tan (middle) showing their police report after they filed their complain against Yong and Dr Ting.
MIRI (Dec 15): Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) youth leaders here have lodged a police report against two state DAP leaders for allegedly posting content on their Facebook page, which was later deleted, in connection with the uproar over the name of the state.
SUPP Piasau youth chief Tan Lek Jin and four other youth leaders had filed the report against Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong and former Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon at the Miri Central Police station.
Tan told reporters that opposition leaders had uploaded a picture of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg at an event with a banner, which had been allegedly doctored to include the words ‘Sarawak Darul Hana’ under the state-ruling coalition’s name.
“Even though the picture has been deleted, we still make a police report because such actions are deliberately disparaging and inciting the public on social media,” he said when met.
“We deny that the picture contains the words ‘Sarawak Darul Hana’. It was deliberately added to anger the public on their Facebook page,” he said.
Tan had lodged the police report with SUPP Senadin youth committee member Nicholas Toh, PBB Telang Usan youth chief Domanic Nyurang Ajang, PDP Mulu youth chief Stephen Avun, and PDP Pujut youth chief Rexsoll Gilum.
Denying that the state government was trying to change the state’s name, Abang Johari had yesterday said the government had never used the term ‘Darul Hana’ to refer to Sarawak and that any change of name would have to go through the state legislative assembly.
He said that the issue was being created by the government’s detractors because they had no other issues to bring up.
The issue was triggered by a Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) Sarawak greeting on social media last year which cropped up on social media recently.
On Dec 6, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Dayak Think Tank Assocation, Dayak National Congress, Sarawak Iban Association, Persatuan Balang Balai Nyabong, and Sarawak Dayak Iban Association Miri said the continued use of Darul Hana could disrupt racial and religious harmony in the state.
They also accused PAS of distorting history as they said Sultan Tengah only ruled a small area around present-day Kuching and was only a minor portion of today’s modern Sarawak.
However, PAS Sarawak had defended its use of Darul Hana to describe Sarawak and also denied claims by activists that the Islamic party was attempting to change Sarawak’s identity from a secular state to one that’s focus on a single religion.
The party’s state commissioner Jofri Jaraiee said Darul Hana, which was purportedly used during the rule of Sultan Tengah from 1627 to 1657, is a term that meant a harmonious and safe place for everyone.
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