MIRI: Lawyer Roland Engan is confirmed the state PKR choice of candidate for the Baram seat in the upcoming general election.
He was endorsed during the recent AGM of the Baram PKR branch chaired by its chairman Harrison Ngau.
Disclosing this here was the party’s Miri branch chairman Dr Michael Teo at a press conference yesterday.
Dr Teo said he threw his support behind Roland for his experience in managing the state PKR campaign in the last state election where Harrison lost by a few hundred votes to Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Dennis Ngau in a multi-cornered fight for Telang Usan, one of state seats under Baram.
“Harrison could have won if not for the delay in announcing the candidate, thus causing confusion among the voters,” said Dr Teo who is also eyeing Miri seat this election.
Dr Teo is still sore about the way SNAP joined Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance, only to break away at the eleventh hour to contest on its own, and ruled out any cooperation with it.
He regretted wasting money to print banners and T-shirts promoting SNAP as a component of PR last year.
“We’re thankful that SNAP has shown its true colours – they’re there just to spoil PR’s chances,” he said.
Dr Teo stressed against repeating the same mistakes by trusting the wrong party and individuals claiming to represent PKR, especially those who defected from BN to contest in the polls.
The other contender for Baram seat is said to be former PRS founder and supreme council member, Patrick Sibat Sujang who is said to have resigned from the party this year to join PKR.
However, Roland confirmed that Patrick was not a member of PKR Baram branch, and did not have the party’s blessings to stand as the PKR candidate for Baram.
Roland, 39, a Kenyah who hails from Long Jeeh, Ulu Baram, is deputy chairman of Baram PKR branch.
He has been practising law at his own law firm in Kuala Lumpur since 2005.