KUCHING: SUPP president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan said yesterday, he believed that the inclusion of Engkilili assemblyman Dr Johnical Rayong in the Barisan Nasional (BN) was a right decision.
WELCOME TO BN: Dr Rayong (second left), being congratulated by SUPP deputy secretary-general Datuk Francis Harden Hollis as other BN men look on.
He said based on the feedback from Engkilili, many voters felt that Dr Rayong who had been an independent for four years, should be accepted into the BN fold.
“Yes, we have gone down to the ground and asked the voters whether they’d like him to be in the BN, and a majority of them wanted him to be in the BN so that he can bring development there,” he said when met by reporters after the first day of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting.
To a question, he said SUPP as a whole did not have a problem in accepting Dr Rayong despite his (Dr Rayong’s) past record of contesting under the opposition ticket, against the BN-SUPP candidate in the 2006 election.
He pointed out that Dr Rayong, whose SUPP membership was approved on Sept 20, switched support to the BN after winning in 2006 and had been associated with the BN since then.
“Well, he has been behaving like a BN man for a long, long time and he is BN at heart. Since the election, he has been BN-oriented.
“So, we thought that at the end of the day if he has the heart to be with the BN and serve as the people’s YB (elected represented), he’s ready. We have actually noted the way he does things around his constituency.
Dr Rayong attended his first BN pre-Council meeting, usually held a day before the State Legislative Assembly sitting at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) headquarters at Jalan Bako here on Sunday.
He was quoted in yesterday’s news report as saying that the Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who chaired the meeting, had declared that he (Dr Rayong) was now a member of the BN during the meeting.
His inclusion in SUPP also means that the party now has 12 state seats.
It now looks almost certain that Dr Rayong will be the BN-SUPP candidate to defend Engkilili.
In 2006, he stood under the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) ticket and he defeated Jonathan Krai Pilo (BN-SUPP) by a majority of 426 votes in a straight fight.