Paul Igai
KUCHING: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) yesterday insisted there cannot be a direct Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for Mas Gading.
Unless it was decided likewise by the BN supreme council, SPDP deputy secretary-general Paul Igai said making such claims now was tantamount to overriding the authority of the Prime Minister who is the BN chairman.
“We don’t listen to this kind of claim which is all nonsense,” he said when contacted yesterday.
The calls for a direct BN candidate in Mas Gading was made recently by Group of Five spokesman Datuk Peter Nansian at the Christmas and New Year Open House hosted by the Mas Gading incumbent MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe.
Alluding to his support for Dr Tiki to be renominated, Nansian believed the candidate for Mas Gading should be a direct BN candidate because of SPDP’s poor standing in Mas Gading.
The Group of Five comprised five elected representatives who are former members of SPDP namely Nansian, Dr Tiki, Datuk Sylvester Entri, Rosey Yunus and Paulus Palu Gumbang. All are assemblypersons except for Dr Tiki who is three-term Mas Gading MP.
Paul, who is also political secretary to the chief minister, said Nansian did not respect the BN top leadership in making such calls.
“The question to be asked is, has he the right to override the Chief Minister and Prime Minister by making such statement? Is he (Nansian) even in the BN supreme council committee?”
He also reaffirmed that SPDP had intensified its activities in Mas Gading since the seat was allocated by BN to the party.
“We have been busy moving around in Mas Gading now. We have started concentrating on the Chinese areas, and we also moved to Bidayuh areas and the other communities. We are also intensifying activities targeting the youths.
“Mas Gading needs a full-fledged BN representative, not someone who is ‘setengah setengah’ (neither here nor there),” he said.
SPDP has recommended Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) deputy general manager Anthony Nogeh as the BN candidate to contest in Mas Gading which has always been a traditional BN stronghold.
Nogeh has been ever present in SPDP activities in Mas Gading of late to introduce himself to the voters.
The seat has generated a lot of public interest since Dr Tiki – now partyless after being sacked by SPDP for gross insubordination – is still harbouring hope of being renominated by BN.
It may see a multi-cornered fight with DAP, STAR and SNAP have expressed their interests in contesting there.