War clouds loom over SPDP

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Sylvester Entri Muran

MIRI: Another crisis is looming in SPDP as the Group of Five has taken exception to a perceived threat by president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom that he would exercise his presidential powers to act against any member fomenting factionalism.

Its former secretary-general Sylvester Entri Muran said the words uttered by the president was meant to threaten and frighten the Group of Five, and sweeping under the carpet whatever trust and confidence that arose from their meeting with him on July 25 this year.

“Enough is enough as what was said in Sibu contradicted what was said and discussed in our meeting with him in his office in Kuching on July 25,” he said.

He said this when asked by The Borneo Post to comment on the recent rise in political temperature in SPDP following Mawan’s remark at the thanksgiving dinner to celebrate the bestowment of the title ‘Tan Sri’ on him, whereby he was quoted to have said that he would not hesitate to exercise his presidential powers on any member who foments factionalism within the party.

Entri said the statement was a departure from the agreement they had during the meeting, which was also attended by senior vice-president Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie.

Without revealing the specifics of what were discussed, Entri said they had a mutual agreement on how to resolve problems in order to strengthen the party.

“Our intention in the meeting was to consolidate and he agreed to what were discussed but the statement in Sibu seems to show that he has reservations and perceives us as not loyal to the party,” he said.

Calling the statement disappointing and contradictory to their discussion, he said the Group of Five was now fed up as it had tolerated enough since the crisis erupted last year.

Entri hoped that Mawan’s latest statement was not a case of misquote as his political secretary Paul Igai had once issued a clarification that the president was misquoted on the issue of wanting only winnable party candidates for the pending general election.

“Otherwise, he would be perceived as changing his mind often,” he said.

Meanwhile, internet blogs, including those known to be close to the party’s top leadership, warned that the president meant his words and it was his and the party’s disciplinary board’s prerogative to issue show cause letters to defiant members.