KUCHING: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is not considering a return to Barisan Nasional even though the federal opposition coalition scored a major victory in the Tanjong Piai parliamentary by-election yesterday.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he sees wisdom in PBB and three Sarawak parties deciding to leave BN and set up GPS after the general election last year.
“When we were with them (BN), we cannot even crow about ourselves, now we (PBB and other GPS parties) are free to boast, and they have to listen to us,” he told reporters here.
Abdul Karim who is also Sarawak tourism minister had been asked to comment on the victory of BN candidate Wee Jeck Seng in Tanjung Piai. Wee was elected with a 15,086-vote majority in a six-cornered contest. He polled 25,466 votes against Karmaine Sardini (PH-PPBM) who polled 10,380 votes. Others in the contest were: Wendy Subramaniam (Gerakan) 1,707 votes, Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz (Berjasa) 850, and independent candidates Ang Chuan Lock (380) and Faridah Aryani Abdul Ghaffar (32 votes).