KUCHING: The BN Club set up by the former ‘SPDP Five’ is just a temporary platform for them to serve their respective constituencies as they are still BN elected representatives, explained Assistant Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Naroden Majais.
He said there was nothing wrong for them to set up the club as it was also done by other political parties such as Umno to serve their political interests.
For the record, Naroden said Umno has opened up its club in London to serve its members living there.
“Personally, there is nothing wrong for the Group of Five to set up the BN Club. We also have various clubs in schools.
“Whether or not they are going to register the club with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) is up to them to decide.
“What is important is for them to have ‘payung berteduh” (a platform) to continue serving the people. After all they are still BN elected representatives,” Naroden told the media after receiving a courtesy call from a group of community leaders from Area Development Committee (ADC) Simunjan at his office at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday.
The Group of Five are former SPDP leaders who had been sacked by their party due to indiscipline and insubordination. They are Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie who is also Tasik Biru assemblyman, Datuk Sylvester Entri (Marudi), Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe (MP for Mas Gading), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Palu Gumbang(Batu Danau).
As such, Naroden, who is also a supreme council member of PBB, pointed out that although the five might have problems with their party leadership they were still BN elected representatives and two of them were members of the State Cabinet.
“So other BN leaders should not corner them or condemn them because at this juncture we should try to be helpful to them as they are still looking for a solution to their predicament,” he said.
Naroden stressed that the Group of Five also knew what they were doing and it would be best to leave their political future to the top BN leaders to decide.
“I am optimistic that the BN top leadership would be able to find a permanent solution to their present predicament.
“This is especially true in the case of Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe. We cannot say that he is no longer winnable as he is still the serving MP for Mas Gading.
“But whether he would be fielded in the coming general election is not for me to comment as that is the prerogative of the top BN leadership especially the prime minister and chief minister,” he stressed
When contacted, ROS state director Ken Leben said the BN Club had not been registered with the state ROS.
Meanwhile, at press time, none of the five were available for comment.