I didnt mean Sarawak wants to split from Malaysia, says Nanta

GPS secretary-general insists that he loves Malaysia, saying his comments were taken out of context.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event at the public works department’s headquarters, Nanta said he only made the remark to urge Malaysians to live in unity and harmony.

“I never meant that we want to ‘divorce’ from Malaysia. It’s just an expression. Let’s live in harmony, let’s live in peace,” said Nanta, the federal works minister.

He also said his comments had been taken out of context, and that his real message was for Malaysians to focus on improving economic management rather than engaging in political bickering.

Nanta said he made it clear during the interview that he loved Malaysia and wanted to protect the country, but that some had chosen to focus on only part of his remarks.

“Let’s focus on what can be done to improve the way we manage our economy, so that in the end, the people will live in better conditions and we progress,” said the Kapit MP.

In an interview with BFM Radio last week, Nanta mentioned the “constant quarrels and political bickering” in Peninsular Malaysia, and asked whether Malaysia was “meant to be one nation in the first place”.

He was also quoted as saying: “If we continue to quarrel over everything, then don’t blame us, don’t blame Sarawakians. If you don’t like us, just divorce us. Forget it.”

Nanta said that as the grandson of Sarawak leader Jugah Barieng, a signatory to the Malaysia Agreement 1963, he felt duty-bound to protect the federation.

He nonetheless maintained that Sarawak must be respected and understood.

His remarks drew criticism from several quarters, with former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak saying the use of the word “divorce” in discussing Sarawak’s place in Malaysia was neither necessary nor constructive.

However, Parti Bumi Kenyalang president Voon Lee Shan said Nanta’s comments merely reflected the frustration felt by many Sarawakians over unresolved issues in the Bornean state.