Merger of Minds: BN to stay united.

suppadmin | August 23, 2015

President of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Tan Sri Dr. James Masing who is also the Land Development Minister, and Presidents of Sarawak United Peoples’ party (SUPP) Senator Datuk Dr. Sim Kui Hian, have put into action their ‘merger of minds’ unity.

Both parties, including that of Sarawak Progressive Development Party (SPDP) President, Dato’ Sri Tiong King Sing and their respective party members, were seen working together on the ground.

Masing when contacted earlier on, said “Merger of minds” means we help each other. As a member of Barisan Nasional, it is our duty to help each other in times of need. There were times in history when SUPP came to aid other BN parties who were then in serious trouble.

“Reciprocal relationship must be honoured if we want to be strong as a political organization. We cannot and will not ignore SUPP in time of need. SUPP Datuk Francis Hardin was with us to show our closeness during PRS functions and vice versa,” he noted.

A believer of “A friend in need is a friend indeed”, Masing was the brainchild of “Merger of Minds” of which SUPP, PRS and SPDP got together one year ago vowing to help and look out for each other when two new parties “Teras and UPP”, who claimed to be BN friendly, were formed.

The three Presidents, Tan Sri Peter Chin (then SUPP President) collaborated and rejected the two new parties to join BN as their members were the breakaway from their parties.

Masing said the strength and loyalty of his members to the party and the BN was seen as in the case of Masir Kujat. Masir who, despite not being an official or holding any ministerial position, did not sulk or get angry with PRS and threatened to quit. “He was rewarded recently as the Deputy Home Minister. If he was not patient enough, he would have quit PRS with anger in his heart,” he pointed out.

Although PRS is a poor man’s party, Masing said their strength lives in their supporters’ support. “If your support depends on PRS’s ability to give you money during general election, we might as well pack our bags and go home. I do not want to waste my time nor should other Dayaks waste theirs. But if you were willing to give us your hearts and soul, then the opportunity is there for the Dayaks to contribute meaningfully to develop Sarawak,” he added.

Masing said PRS have the human resource, the number and most important of all, they must be willing to move forward in ways which will earn the respect of other parties in Sarawak.

Yesterday afternoon at the presentation ceremony of the 8th Sarawak Masters Golf Championship officiated by Masing at the Damai Golf and Country Club, Masing emphasized that they not only work together politically but also played golf together besides other sports.

“Even away from politics, we are thinking along the same line. That is very important. It is just like a couple. Before getting married, we must know and understand each other first,” he said.

On a question on what he thought of Tiong’s intention to merge the two parties besides working together, Masing said he need to discuss in detail with his committee members. “We have yet to meet. What I feel maybe different from what my committee feels. So it has to be a consensus decision,” he added saying that when the committee meets, they will discuss on the 11 new seats too.

When asked for his opinion, Dr. Sim said he may be new in politics but he practised and believed firmly in principle. “BN remains together for so long as we all stick to principle even when one component is weak resulting in the other willingness to help to strengthen them.

“In 1987, there was trouble in PBB and SUPP was there to support. In politics, there is always up and down, and split in any party is not uncommon. Now that SUPP is broken, we have the Chief Minister and Tan Sri Dr. James Masing who has always been vocal and support us not only with words but in action,” he said.

Dr. Sim said time is changing and it is now even more important for BN component parties to support each other sincerely, to maintain the unity to face a common enemy, the opposition.

He emphasised that whoever play the politics of divide and rule in 2015 will not only weaken the component parties but will mark the beginning of the end of BN government as time is no longer the same!

“It is exactly true what was said, “United we stand. Divided we fall”, he added.