PKR smacks down Taib's 'crab culture' remark

Sarawak PKR  has rubbished claims by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud that the "crab culture" is destructive when he himself is no example. 

Speaking at a development and leadership seminar in Limbang two days ago, Taib stated that the culture of pulling own people or government from power was similar to crabs pulling down their own kind trying to  scramble up a basin.

"Such culture is destructive," Taib,  (right)who is Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) president, had claimed.

"In PBB, for as long as I am leading the party, I forbid the crab culture of politicking, although competition among party members for posts is acceptable," he added.

Sarawak PKR secretary Abang Zulkilfi Abang Engkeh begged to differ, in dismissing Taib's analogy, he descibed crab culture as being good.

Not walking the talk

"If you manage to go up the ladder, you succeed in becoming a leader, just like Taib now occupying top spot in the state government and PBB.

"What is bad is the father crab telling his children to walk straight when he himself does not," Zulkifli said.

He likened Taib and other government leaders to father crabs advising the people to be honest and trustworthy when they themselves are not.

"You tell people not to be corrupt, but you yourself do it and you tell people not to steal, but you yourself are grabbing native customary rights land from the owners," he said.

Zulkifli urged Taib and other BN leaders to tell the truth about the crab culture and not try twisting facts.

Police stumbling block up

Meanwhile, Sarawak PKR has encountered problems in organising roadshows as the police had decided against issuing permits for public gatherings organised by political parties.

Zulkifli said this happened when the party tried to organise a public gathering in front of a house at Kampung Tuie in Betong on Jan 15.

When he queried the police department, they said Kuala Lumpur had issued as circular against permits for political party public gatherings, he said.

He added that the police cited traffic problems and security as the reasons for disallowing public gathering by political parties.

As a consequence, he said the series of roadshows that PKR had planned would be closed-door affairs instead.

"We will be face to face with the people," he said.

However, he pointed out that police had no problems with previous PKR roadshows."We applied for police permits and they just issued," he said.

He added the response to the earlier events  had been good, attracting an average of 700 to 800 people.

They  had been held in the parliamentary constituencies of Mambong, Mas Gading, Selangau, Betong, Saratok, Kapit and Ulu Rejang.

Meanwhile, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to arrive in Kuching on Feb 5 to attend the party's Stampin branch Chinese New Year open house.

He will also be visiting Kampung Taee, about 60km from the state capital, later in the afternoon before attending a function at Petra Jaya at night.