Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah dismissed Tengku Adnan’s (pic) assertion that Sarawak BN had let the coalition down and did not subscribe to the 'spirit of comradeship'. ― Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor should keep quiet if he still doesn’t understand why Sarawak parties withdrew from the coalition, a Borneo state minister said.

Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah dismissed Tengku Adnan’s assertion that Sarawak BN had let the coalition down and did not subscribe to the “spirit of comradeship”.

“Tengku Adnan is the last person who should talk about ‘comradeship’. As Umno and BN secretary-general, he should ask whether component parties in BN had been treated fairly and equally.

“He should just shut his mouth and be like other Umno leaders who understand why Sarawak ex-BN component parties have to make this stand,” Abdul Karim was quoted saying in The Borneo Post today.

The Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president added that the former Federal Territories minister must recognise that Malaysians rejected BN “because of the excesses of Umno”.

According to Abdul Karim, the Sarawak ruling parties had suffered from the public backlash; and even then struggled with the decision to quit BN after 40 years and form the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) for their political survival.

The unregistered GPS comprises PBB, Parti Rakyat Sarawak, Progressive Democratic Party and Sarawak United People’s Party.