SPDP Women Wing denies meeting Mawan over G4 reinstatement

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KUCHING: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) Women Wing has denied party president Tan Sri William Mawan spoke to its Exco members to explain the reinstatement of the four former party leaders, dubbed G4, into the party.

In a statement issued to The Borneo Post yesterday, SPDP Wanita Wing Chief Datuk Chiew Yen Chew said they were compelled to rebut Mawan’s claim that he met them on accepting the G4 back into the party because it implied that they agreed to the arrangement before him and then went against it behind his back.

“ It is a blatant lie, we are not that irresponsible, we stick to the decision arrived at during our party’s last Triennial General Assembly (TGA) not to readmit the G4 back into the party. If that decision had to be made then it must be made through the same forum and not through the president alone,” Chiew said.

The Wanita Wing also took exception to Mawan implying that they were ‘bad’ people for going against his wish to readmit the G4 members because in a democratic party every member had the right to disagree and call for proper procedures to resolve any issues affecting the party.

“SPDP belongs to all of us not just the president or a few leaders, all of us have the right to voice our dissent.”

Chew also called on Mawan not to use the name of Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem to solve the crisis brewing in the party.

“We look to our president to set good example in running our party along democratic lines and we are very disappointed he chose to enforce his decisions without consultations with party leaders and grassroots members.

“As president he should meet the members to work out a solution and not try to avoid facing us by using the alleged blessing from chief minister to force us to accept the G4 back into the party.”

On some of the party’s divisional leaders expressing dismay over the vote of no confidence passed by the Wanita Wing, the statement said Mawan should carry out a survey on how many division chiefs or Supreme Council Members agreed with the readmission of the G4.

“He should have done that before announcing their reinstatement and he can still do so if he is sincere in hearing the grassroots voices instead of leaning on the alleged backing of the chief minister to get his way.”

The statement added the best way to address the issue now is to call for a Supreme Council meeting and the Women Wing appealed to Mawan to convene the meeting as soon as possible.