Tiong warns of BN turmoil over partyless 9

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Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing

Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing

BINTULU: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has warned Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) not to take all the nine partyless Barisan Nasional (BN) state assemblymen as it would disrupt the harmony among the state’s four BN component parties.

He feared that if PBB were to take them all in it could create havoc in the state’s ruling coalition.

In the last PBB supreme council meeting, its president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem advised the nine who contested as BN direct candidates in the last state election to go back to their constituents to ask them to decide which party they should join.

However, BN secretary-general Datuk Stephen Rundi Utom has given the assurance to all the BN component parties in Sarawak that a meeting would be called soon to decide on the fate of these elected representatives.

“I will definitely put my stand forward. I don’t agree with what PBB plans to do now. But if you (PBB) insist in doing it because you are a big brother then I will say go ahead.

“But come the next state election, the seats belong to us. If they are not given back to us then we will know what to do. We will let our members decide what to do. If they do not want to maintain the existing harmony, it is very dangerous.

“Don’t become power crazy. I don’t mind to say this but if I offend anybody I will apologise. But we must maintain the present harmony in our state here,” Tiong told BAT6 here yesterday.

Among the nine partyless elected representatives, three of them are former SPDP leaders, namely Pakan assemblyman Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, Bekenu assemblywoman Rosey Yunus and Batu Danau assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang.

Besides these three leaders, three others are former UPP leaders namely Bengoh assemblyman Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, Opar assemblyman Ranum Mina and Engkilili assemblyman Dr Johnical Rayong. The remaining three are former PBB members who resigned before they contested under the direct BN tickets. They are Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh, Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus and Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala.

Tiong, who is also Bintulu MP insisted that the State BN should stick with the seats allocation as agreed before the election with PBB taking five, PRS (two), SUPP (two) and SPDP (two).

“SUPP has been given one, PRS two and PBB five. Where are SPDP’s two seats?”

On a related issue, Tiong said the top BN leadership should find an amicable solution between SPDP and its splinter party, Teras.

“Until today the problem of SPDP and Teras has never been resolved. Where is the solution? What game are we playing? Why do we make someone indispensable since they have left BN, why do we still retain them?” he asked.

Tiong added that the agreement on consensus and power sharing among the BN component parties must be kept and should not become mere words.

“Whatever we have shared earlier, we must honour it unless there is another understanding, unless we don’t care about this BN spirit or BN consensus, then that is another issue,” he said.

Tiong also warned that if the state BN does not keep its present understanding, they could end up like the opposition.

“The opposition also has a consensus arrangement like BN but towards the end they could not honour it and now they are gone. Likewise if BN is not careful, it will be gone – also especially when we have 14 BN component parties. We cannot afford to set a precedent,” he said.