SIBU: Despite holding a large majority of state seats, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has its own check-and-balance system to keep the coalition on the straight and narrow, says Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
"So far, so good. In the last state election, we won 76 out of 82 seats. There are people who say that GPS is too strong and that it is difficult to have checks and balances.
"As we are a coalition, we have partners. Having a majority doesn’t mean that democracy is dead. We have a culture of checks and balances," said the Sarawak Premier at Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) 65th anniversary and Chinese New Year dinner on Saturday (Feb 18).
Amongst other achievements, he said that the state revenue has shown growth.
"Six years ago, our revenue was about RM8bil. After the Covid-19 pandemic, it grew to RM11bil in 2022 and RM13.3bil in 2023," he said.
On SUPP's 65th anniversary, Abang Johari said the party remains relevant in Sarawak's politics.
He said SUPP, together with Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB), formed the first coalition government in the country.
"We were the first to form a coalition government under Tun Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Rahman Ya'kub and the late Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Yong because we wanted to work together and develop Sarawak and it lives on now under my leadership.
"We (the coalition) are getting larger with Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) joining," he said.
