New party not a threat, says PRS deputy treasurer-general

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KUCHING: Recently-registered Sarawak Workers’ Party (SWP) will pose no threat to the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming 13th general election.

PRS deputy treasurer-general Edward Kurik opined that SWP would only cause a ripple in the election which is expected to be held soon even though the term of the current Parliament ends on April 24, 2013.

“No…no. I don’t think SWP will be a threat to PRS and BN, and Sng (Datuk Sng Chee Hua) knows that,” Edward, who is also PRS executive secretary, said in an SMS yesterday.

Edward believed that SWP’s motivation in targeting all of PRS’ six parliamentary seats came about after winning Pelagus in the 10th state election last year.

He said they (SWP) were most probably hoping that history repeat in the 13th general election.

During the state election last April, PRS candidate Stanley Nyitar was trounced by independent George Lagong, who is related to Sng, by a 2, 837-vote majority.

“SWP is after PRS after what happened in Pelagus … and now thinks that the party can win in other areas where the majority of voters are Dayak.”

Recently, SWP openly declared its intention to lock horn with PRS in all its six parliamentary seats: Kanowit, Julau, Sri Aman, Lubok Antu, Selangau and Hulu Rajang.

Edward added that the Dayak community could now see that the people in Pelagus had been misled, and believed that Sng only wanted to use the party to bargain for “something” from the BN leadership.