Shadow cabinet: PKR power hungry, says DAP

Sarawak DAP has called PKR "power hungry" for its objections to the shadow cabinet mooted during the May 1 state Pakatan Rakyat leadership council meeting.

"(The national) PKR political bureau (on May 4 had) raised objections to the shadow cabinet line-up on the grounds that the portfolios given to them were 'junior'.

"There is no basis for this objection," Sarawak DAP chairperson Wong Ho Leng (left) said. "Since it is a shadow cabinet, no portfolio is senior or junior, more important or less important.

"It only shows that someone in the PKR political bureau is power hungry without (understanding) the true function of a shadow cabinet...," Wong said in a statement today.

In view of this, he said, Sarawak PKR should have some form of autonomy from the central leadership.

The PKR political bureau, Wong said, had made its decision without knowing the "full facts" of what transpired during the May 1 meeting in Kuching.

There was 'full consultation'

Rebutting Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian's statement yesterday that there was "no proper discussion or prior consultation" before the line-up was announced to the press after the May 1 meeting, Wong said Baru had clearly delegated three representatives to the meeting.

"In his SMS to me, Baru said he had forgotten about the... meeting. Hence, he sent a PKR national vice-president, state PKR committee member Ibi Uding and (Baru's aide) Vernon Kedit to attend.

"The PKR representatives discussed the shadow cabinet line-up and made amendments (to the list) before it was announced in a joint (press) conference," Wong said.

SARAWAK SHADOW CABINET
Natural Resources and Good Governance – Wong Ho Leng;
Land Development and NCR Affairs – Baru Bian;
Finance – Chong Chieng Jen;
Local Government – Ling Sie Kiong;
Tourism, Heritage and Environment – See Chee How;
Rural Development – Chiew Chiu Sing;
Industrial Development – Yap Hoi Liong;
Public Health – Dr Wong Hua Seh;
Social Development and Woman Affairs – Violet Yong Wui Wui;
Public Utilities – Wong King Wei;
Infrastructure Development and Communications – Chiew Wang See;
Agriculture – Ting Tze Fui

On the DAP side, it was attended by Wong and state party secretary Chong Chieng Jen. State PAS chief Adam Ahid and his deputy were scheduled to attend, but send their apologies for not being able to be present.

Wong explained that the DAP duo and the three PKR representatives discussed the shadow cabinet line-up for an hour.

"(During) the course of the discussions, Vernon called Baru Bian and (state PKR publicity chief) See Chee How. He could not have called to tell them about the weather or stock market.

"We exchanged views on the line-up. We made two amendments to the portfolios. There was full consultation," said Wong.

Were the three reps mere window dressing?

He also said Baru now owed the DAP an explanation on his claim that he had sent three representatives with "no decision making powers" to the meeting.

The three PKR representatives sat through the meeting and the (subsequent) press conference. They never said they had no decision-making power.

"They did not object when I read out to the dozen reporters the line-up of the shadow cabinet one by one," he said, adding that Baru could have made his position known earlier.

Wong said that it was disrespectful of Baru to delegate the trio to the meeting and not give them any decision making power., and asked if the three were mere "decoration".

"If Baru Bian had been more forthcoming by telling us before the meeting that the three representatives had no decision-making power, then I would have no qualms to call off or postpone the meeting," he said.

Even though Baru himself was being kept abreast about the proceedings of the meeting by telephone, he did not raise any objection despite having the opportunity to do so.

New requirement for future meetings

In his parting shot, Wong said the entire episode over the shadow cabinet showed that Sarawak PKR had no authority to make decisions at state Pakatan leadership meetings.

"That was the complaint raised by SNAP, which failed to reach agreement with PKR on seats (the parties will contest) in the recently concluded state election.

"In order to avoid all unnecessary misunderstanding and excuses in the future, DAP will from now on insist that Sarawak PKR leadership show in black-and-white from their national headquarters that they have power to enter into discussions and above all, that they have decision-making powers," he said.