KUCHING: After successfully helping Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) retain its two Bidayuh-majority seats in the recent election, the community now expects the party to give them due recognition.
With the victory, the Bidayuhs feel that it is high time that their community be given the recognition and that their elected representatives be appointed to ministerial posts.
They said the party should recommend either Bengoh assemblyman Dr Jerip Susil or Opar assemblyman Ranum Mina or both of them to be appointed as assistant ministers.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Bengoh secretary Jeguk Ngamo, in a statement to The Borneo Post, said although the Bidayuhs had never failed to deliver Bengoh and Opar to BN through SUPP for many terms yet none of the assemblymen had been given any ministerial post in the past.
“A Bidayuh should be given the ministerial post because in failing to do so SUPP will be seen as unfair and racialist and this may lead to the demise of the party in the future,” said Jeguk.
His view was shared by a loyal SUPP member from Bengoh constituency, who pointed out that that their elected representatives had never got any post in the State Cabinet, not even as an assistant minister.
“Bengoh for instance, had been represented by SUPP for many, many terms. Among its elected representatives were the late Segus Ginyai, William Tanyuh and now Dr Jerip. They were just ordinary assemblymen but in the following elections the community still gave their full support to BN.
“I should say that the Bidayuhs have been very patient or else they also would have rejected SUPP like the urban folks. As such I suggest that SUPP should not let them down again this time,” he pointed out.
He said the party not only had failed to consider recommending a Bidayuh for a post in the State Cabinet but had also denied them an opportunity to hold the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman’s post.
“There were a few occasions when the MPP chairman post fell vacant. We appealed to the party leadership to consider giving the post to someone from the Bidayuh community as replacement but that also never happened,” he lamented.
He said some posts in government linked companies or statutory bodies meant for SUPP leaders were seldom given to the Bidayuhs.
Therefore, he said, it was the sincere hope of the Bidayuh community that their elected representatives in SUPP would be seriously considered this time.