Putting a stop to the enmity between both parties.
DAP chairman, Lim Guan Eng has apologised to the Sarawak government and its people for making statements that may have offended them.
The Bagan MP has pleaded for a fresh start in relations with the state.
He said cooperation in preserving the nation’s diversity and inclusiveness was needed.
“I apologise for my remarks that may have offended the Sarawak Premier and the GPS Sarawak state government.
“The future of the country is more important. Let us make a fresh start to cooperate together to preserve the diversity, inclusiveness and unity of our multiracial and multi-cultural society, as well as protect our Federal Constitution for the benefit of all in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak,” he said in a statement, today.
Lim’s expression of regret was posted on Facebook hours after the party’s secretary-general Anthony Loke met Abang Johari in Kuching this morning to publicly apologise on behalf of the party.
“We had a friendly discussion. I have informed the Premier that if there is any statement ever made by any DAP leader that offends the government and the people of Sarawak, I representing DAP, applogise publicly,” he said.
Loke extended an olive branch to Abang Johari to put a stop to the enmity between both parties. He said the meeting was cordial.
Both DAP leaders are hoping the meeting with Abang Johari and Sarawak Deputy Premier Prof Sim Kui Hian will change Malaysia’s political landscape, ushering in greater understanding and co-operation for the nation’s sake.
In 2019, Lim, who was then the finance minister, had drawn flak for saying Sarawak would go bankrupt in three years if GPS continued to govern the state.
He had said Sarawak’s reserves of RM31 billion would be all spent in three years if GPS continued to allocate an annual state budget of RM11 billion.
Then Sarawak deputy chief minister, the late James Masing, was among the state leaders who had slammed Lim for his remarks.
Tension between GPS and DAP was also caused by Lim cancelling several mega projects in Sarawak.
“When DAP came to power after the 2018 general election, they immediately embarked on a campaign to make Sarawak pay,” a GPS leader was quoted as saying.
“They tried to stunt our growth, kill the state’s development when they started cancelling contracts for major infrastructure projects worth millions of ringgit.”
He said this was one of the main reasons why, in the hours after Saturday’s polls, the coalition had said it was aligning itself with Perikatan Nasional, adding that it rejected DAP outright.
GPS, which initially stated its support for Muhyiddin Yassin as the prime minister, had changed its stand on Tuesday after BN said it would remain in the opposition and would not be part of any either a Pakatan Harapan or Perikatan Nasional-led government.
GPS said it would leave it to the wisdom of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to decide who should be the prime minister.
However, GPS leader Fadillah Yusof revealed that the coalition was advised by the Agong to consider joining a unity government to resolve the current political impasse.