Ho Leng insists PKR agreed to Sarawak shadow Cabinet

Wong said PKR may have neglected
to keep Anwar apprised of the
developments in Sarawak

Sarawak DAP has rebutted Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s claim that the state’s shadow Cabinet was yet to be finalised.

State DAP chief Wong Ho Leng said today that Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat (PR) had agreed to the line-up and Anwar’s statement was due to PKR’s failure to inform its de facto leader.

“The consensus was clearly reached since there was no objection,” said the Bukit Assek assemblyman in a press statement today.


“When Anwar said that the Sarawak shadow Cabinet line-up had not been finalised, it was apparent to me that he had not received full and proper communication or feedback from his party representatives. Such lack of communication is unfortunate,” Wong added.

Anwar said yesterday that the Sarawak shadow Cabinet had not been finalised and the current line-up was merely a DAP proposal.

“The line up is not final... we are discussing that... it is a proposal by DAP and we will have to consult PAS and PKR Sarawak,” the parliamentary opposition leader told reporters.

But Wong said today the line-up was discussed and approved by the PR Sarawak Council meeting in Kuching on Sunday.

He said that even though state PKR chief Baru Bian was in Sabah, the party had three representatives including Datuk John Tenewi Nuek, the vice president in charge of Sabah and Sarawak.

Wong said the interest of Sarawakians was “paramount and must be safeguarded” and “since it is merely a shadow Cabinet, no portfolio is ranked more important or senior to another.”

He stressed that the line-up was “not a reflection of the portfolios the elected [state assemblymen] will hold should Pakatan Rakyat form the state government one day.”

“The fact that there are more DAP members in the shadow Cabinet is merely because DAP has 12 elected representatives compared to PKR’s three and all elected representatives are in the shadow Cabinet,” added.

Wong said that the primary aim of the shadow Cabinet was to ensure alternative views and provide constructive debate in the assembly.

Baru, who is Ba’kelalan assemblyman, also said yesterday that Wong will be state opposition leader as DAP was the largest opposition party in the state assembly.

Wong also explained that although state PAS chief Adam Ahid was not an assemblyman, he was given the Islamic affairs portfolio as none of PR’s elected representatives were qualified.

PKR and DAP have also clashed over the latter’s proposed merger with the Sarawak National Party (SNAP).

PKR is wary of pursuing further co-operation with SNAP after talks over seat allocation for the April 16 state election broke down at the 11th hour, resulting in the two parties contesting each other in 25 constituencies.

Negotiations between Sarawak DAP and PKR had also broken down before the national leadership of both parties intervened, leaving DAP with 15 instead of the 20 it had initially targeted.

The April 16 vote saw DAP doubling its assemblymen to 12 while PKR won in three seats as Barisan Nasional (BN) swept over three-quarters of the 71-seat assembly.

Shanon Teoh