Abdul Karim hopes SPDP-PRS merger for unity of Dayaks

August 20, 2015

KUCHING: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) supreme council member Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah hopes the merger between Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) will be for the good of the rural Bumiputera community.

He said it would be good if both parties decided to merge as their leaders had always advocated unity of the Dayaks.

“I’m glad this idea (merger) has cropped up again, but hopefully it’s for real, that is, for the unity of the rural Bumiputera and not any other agenda,” Abdul Karim, who is Assistant Youth Development Minister, said in his WhatsApp message yesterday.

He was asked on a report yesterday that SPDP had resolved to work towards merger with PRS by enhancing cooperation and understanding with its fellow Barisan Nasional (BN) component party.

The resolution was made at SPDP supreme council meeting held at a leading hotel in Miri on Sunday and a statement issued by its supreme council member, among others, stated that the party would seriously reach out to PRS to realise the joint proposal made by the two parties some years ago.

According to Abdul Karim, the idea of merger between the two parties had been “on and off” many times, like the Malay saying ‘tengelam timbul’.

“If we look back at history, SPDP and PRS are like two children of the same parents that have parted ways,” he said, explaining that they were off-shoots of BN.

DAP nadai netapka berapa sitak deka dipasuk parti nya maya PRN tu

February 25, 2015

SIBU: Parti Tindakan Demokratik (DAP) nadai netapka berapa sitak DUN ke deka dipasuk dalam pengawa bepilih kunsil nengeri (PRN) ti deka datai tang pengundi ngembuan hak nentuka ni bagi parti ke ulih mai ubah ngagai sida.

Chairman DAP Nengeri Sarawak, Chong Chieng Jen madah, parti nya deka bediri pemadu kurang dalam 30 kerusi DUN dalam PRN ti deka datai tu.

Ku iya, DAP deka nulung ngelempungka tanggungpengawa ke ditapi Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) lebih agi nayup PKR ba sekeda menua pesisir nyengkaum sekeda sitak di kandang mengeri.

Don't join PR 'coz they are just empty tins -Karim

Posted on January 20, 2013, Sunday

“PR (Pakatan Rakyat) may look interesting, full of colours, and promises, but in reality they are just empty tins.” -Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

KUCHING: State BN secretary-general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi Utom yesterday invited all former SNAP members to join Barisan Nasional (BN).

He said it was the best option for them to take for sake of the people of Sarawak.

“SNAP members should join any BN parties and continue to struggle along with fellow BN for the people of Sarawak,” he said in a short messaging service (SMS) yesterday.

SNAP, once a mighty political party, was deregistered on Thursday by the Federal Court which upheld the Registrar of Societies (ROS)’s decision made in 2002 as a result of unresolved leadership crisis.

PBB supreme council member Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, when contacted, concurred with Dr Rundi stance, saying that SNAP members should stand steadfast behind BN.

“PR (Pakatan Rakyat) may look interesting, full of colours, and promises, but in reality they are just empty tins,” he said.

Asajaya assemblyman Abdul Karim pointed out that BN had a long and proven track record.

Deregistration of SNAP a lesson to other political parties

January 19, 2013

KUCHING: The leaders of SNAP have no one else to blame but themselves for not adhering to the advice of fellow political leaders — an oversight that led to the deregistration of their party.

PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Masing said it was sad to see the end of the party, which was among Sarawak’s oldest.

“I did advise some of them (the leaders), based on my experience, on what to do after being given a second chance. My advice fell on deaf ears,” Masing told The Star yesterday.

He said as Malaysia is a country governed by laws, any individual or organisation including political parties that broke them should face the consequences.

“That’s exactly what happened to SNAP,” said Masing.

SPDP president Tan Sri William Mawan said it was regrettable that the party had to come to such an end.

Putting personal feelings aside, Mawan, who was SNAP’s vice-president, said the party’s demise must be taken as a lesson by leaders and members of political parties so as not to mix personal and party agenda because a party should focus on serving the people.

A political era ends

 July 19, 2011

Wong’s demise was a very big loss to Sarawak. -Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

Datuk Amar James Wong Kim Min (1922 — 2011)

KUCHING: Former president of Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and the state’s first Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar James Wong Kim Min, passed away at Normah Medical Specialist Centre here at 2pm yesterday.

His son-in-law Dennis Liew said Wong’s remains would be flown to his hometown Limbang, either on Thursday or Friday.

Until then it will lie in state at his home at Jalan Temgah here. Wong had complained of feeling unwell and was brought to the hospital around 10.30am.

He is survived by his wife Datin Amar Valerie Bong, eight children and many grandchildren.

Born on Aug 6, 1922 in Limbang, he received his primary and secondary education at St Mary’s School and St Thomas School here before going for further studies at Serdang College of Agriculture in Selangor but his tertiary education was interrupted by the Second World War and he had to return to Limbang.

He became the pioneer of the hill logging industry in Sarawak in 1949 and in 1953 began his long and distinguished political career with his appointment as member of the Limbang District Council.

He was appointed a member of the Malaysia Solidarity Consultative Committee which negotiated and formulated the terms for Sabah (North Borneo) and Sarawak in the formation of the new nation.

Perlukah sebuah lagi parti Dayak?

June 14, 2011

“Bagaimanapun saya percaya Bumiputera di Sarawak tidak mudah dipengaruhi dan telah masak dengan politik kotor pembangkang yang cuba memecah belah keutuhan rakyat." Yang Berhormat Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

KUCHING: Populasi Dayak di negeri ini terlalu kecil untuk kemunculan sebuah lagi parti berasaskan Dayak yang kukuh daripada sudut politik.

Presiden PRS Tan Sri James Masing berkata adalah lebih baik untuk Dayak bersatu di bawah satu parti yang menjamin keutuhan rakyat.

Bagaimanapun katanya, beliau tidak menghalang mereka daripada cuba menubuhkan sebuah lagi parti Dayak iaitu Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) dan jika diluluskan pendaftarannya oleh Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS) akan dikenali sebagai PBDS Baru.

“Malaysia mengamalkan kebebasan berpersatuan dan saya ucapkan selamat berjaya kepada mereka,” katanya ketika dihubungi bagi mengulas berhubung isu ahli-ahli PBDS yang setia mahu mewujudkan PBDS Baru.

Sementara itu Pengerusi Kelab Penyokong Barisan Nasional (BN) Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata penubuhan PBDS adalah satu daripada agenda pembangkang untuk memecah belah parti Bumiputera.

Katanya, pembangkang akan mencari apa jua cara untuk memecah belah kesatuan yang kukuh di kalangan Bumiputera di negeri ini.

Bagaimanapun, beliau percaya penubuhan PBDS Baru tidak mampu mempengaruhi rakyat Bumiputera dengan mudah berdasarkan kepada sokongan yang ditunjukkan pada pilihan raya lepas.

Karim: Shadow cabinet trouble expected

May 7, 2011

Opposition front does not practise spirit of consultationI had expected that the shadow cabinet would not be accepted by (PKR Sarawak chief) Baru Bian. I was proven right today (yesterday).- Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah 

KUCHING: The rejection of the opposition’s shadow cabinet by PKR was expected, said Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club chairman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah yesterday.

He pointed out this is because the opposition front does not practise the spirit of consultation and consensus like the BN.

“I had expected that the shadow cabinet would not be accepted by (PKR Sarawak chief) Baru Bian. I was proven right today (yesterday),” he said when contacted yesterday.

Karim, who is also chief political secretary to the chief minister, was commenting on yesterday’s news reports which quoted Baru as saying that he rejected outright the shadow cabinet lineup announced by state DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng on May 1.

Baru, the newly-elected Ba Kelalan assemblyman, had also said he had decided not to accept the shadow cabinet because the committee meeting chaired by Wong had failed to include his opinion as state PKR liaison chief.

By making such a unilateral decision, Karim said DAP showed its chauvinistic side by naming its men for important portfolios.

As such, he called on PKR as well as SNAP to re-evaluate their working relations with DAP.

Karim: SNAP will be DAP's dogs if they merged

Posted on April 23, 2011, Saturday

KUCHING: SNAP will be the ‘dogs’ of DAP if they agree to merge with the latter, said chief political secretary to the chief minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

Abdul Karim, also Asajaya assemblyman, said when DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang proposed the idea for SNAP and DAP to merge, his (Lim’s) aim was to counter the public perception that DAP is a Chinese party, and not a genuine plan to merge.

SNAP used to be part of the state BN but in the just-concluded state election, its uphill battle to regain relevancy in Sarawak failed when 25 out of its 26 candidates including president Edwin Dundang Bugak lost their deposits.

Abdul Karim said when Lim proposed the idea, he wanted to tell people that DAP needed the support of the Dayak majority in order to strengthen its aim to topple the state BN through the control of rural seats.

DAP managed to secure urban seats, judging from its successful outing in the last state polls where it won all Chinese-majority seats in Kuching, Bintangor and Sarikei although failing to capture one each of such seats in Sibu and Miri.

“It (SNAP-DAP proposed merger) would only be a marriage for the benefit of DAP. At the moment, the marriage is impossible,” he said when asked to comment on the idea.

“I still believe SNAP leaders would not want to be played out by DAP,” he said.

Conduct election ‘Sarawak Style’, suggests Abdul Karim

March 19, 2011, Saturday

KUCHING: Do it ‘Sarawak Style’, chief political secretary to the Chief Minister, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said when urging everyone to be vigilant in the coming state election.

“Sarawak style is a bit different from West Malaysia where candidates and supporters from all parties display good manners when holding an election. A candidate can also visit and shake hands with opposing party supporters,” Karim said when met at a press conference yesterday.

Karim disapproved of rowdy behaviour during campaigning and polling day. He said what was important was for everyone to carry out their role and not throw baseless accusations against one another.

On the challenge posed by SNAP, Karim said its fielding of 16 candidates was not a big challenge to Barisan Nasional.

Karim said BN would not rest on its laurels when it comes to facing challenges during election time.

Sarawakians don’t need Jeffrey to teach them politics — Abdul Karim

February 7, 2011

KUCHING: Sarawakians do not need a Sabahan ‘frog’ in the form of Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan and his United Borneo Front (UBF) to teach them politics.

Chief Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said it was very absurd to see a person like Jeffrey coming to Sarawak, trying to advise its people on politics.

“His political career is so tainted by jumping from one party to another that I don’t see him as a good adviser or teacher to Sarawak except to those who wear the same feather as him,” he said when contacted recently.

Karim advised Sarawak National Party (SNAP) to be wary of Jeffrey and also his UBF because from the way he looked at it, the Sabahan was merely looking for a platform in Sarawak to sustain his political agenda. 

He pointed out that Jeffrey is known as a politician who has failed numerous times in his political career in Sabah.

The chief political secretary added it would be sad for the people of Sarawak if an illustrious party like SNAP would fall into Jeffrey’s trick in providing him a political platform for him to boost his political career.

“SNAP has an illustrious history in Sarawak politics and surely its present leaders would not want it tainted with flimsy political characters like Jeffrey,” he added.

Opposition front a mix of strange bedfellows, says George Chan

April 21, 2010

KUCHING: Despite the state Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presenting a more united front with the entry of Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Barisan Nasional leaders said the Opposition lacked a clear political stand.

SUPP president Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the Opposition front was too flexible in its ideology by working with different parties with different goals.

“Since the DAP can work with PAS, it shows they are willing to work with any party, despite their opposing ideologies,” Dr Chan told The Star yesterday.

“The Opposition front is a mix of strange bedfellows. I cannot see clearly what is their ideology. I think that is not going to work. Either you believe in certain things or you do not. You cannot have so many different ideologies working together.”

Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Datuk Seri Dr James Jemut Masing said SNAP itself did not know where it stood. Masing claimed SNAP had some members who preferred the party to be aligned to Barisan.

“It is not a united party. It is a party that does not know what it really wants. There are factions within it that believe in different things. Any party that is not united will end up confusing voters.”

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB) supreme council member Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah agreed.