‘Appointing PAS reps into Sabah state assembly detrimental to harmony’

A Sabah DAP state assemblyperson has raised concern over proposals to appoint representatives from PAS into the state assembly and the newly formed state cabinet.

Kapayan assemblyperson Jannie Lasimbang, in a statement today, claimed that PAS was a party that was not open to other beliefs and having its representative in the Sabah government would disrupt the religious and racial harmony.

“Appointing PAS into the state assembly, or worse, into the state cabinet, would end the harmony among the religions and ethnicities that are now enjoyed and nurtured by the people in Sabah,” she said, in response to suggestions made by BN secretary-general Annuar Musa and Terengganu Bersatu chief Razali Idris yesterday.

Annuar mooted for a PAS representative to be among the six appointed Sabah state assemblypersons while Razali suggested that PAS be rewarded for its sacrifice in the recent Sabah state election by appointing its member into the cabinet.

Lasimbang cited the incident where PAS Pasir Puteh MP Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh made a remark on the Bible in Parliament in August that the holy book for Christians was distorted.

"PAS always takes the view of extremists and that would be detrimental to all religions, including Islam, Christian, Tao, Hindu or the beliefs held by the Orang Asal," Lasimbang stated.

She also challenged the Kadazan Dusun Murut leaders in the governing party such as PBS and Star to make a stand on the issue.

Meanwhile, Lasimbang said she supported another suggestion by Annuar that more women should be appointed as state assemblypersons in Sabah.

"This is because only two female state assemblypersons from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah made it in the Sabah state election. With five more from Warisan, it makes only a total of seven women in the assembly which is less than 10 percent," Lasimbang said.