Liang Suman
KUCHING: A voter in Ba Kelalan believes that a senator appointed from the state constituency is capable of bringing in more development to the area.
In expressing his opinion, outspoken Liang Suman said most of the constituents are hoping for the senator post to be given to former Ba Kelalan assemblyman Datuk Nelson Balang Rining, who is also Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) deputy president.
He also said they were still in the dark over the promise made by SPDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing four days before nomination day and also during the election campaign that Balang, who is also SPDP Ba Kelalan branch chairman, would be made a senator.
“The senator post, if truly given, augurs well for the people of Ba Kelalan. That is the only way the Barisan Nasional (BN) government can help Ba Kelalan now that the constituency is held by opposition PKR. As of today, there is no news of the promise made,” he said when contacted yesterday.
When pressed further, Liang said he was informed that Tiong, who is also Bintulu MP, made the promise at an SPDP supreme council meeting in Sibu prior to nomination day for the May 7 state election.
“We are not sure if the promise is just a political gimmick or for real. A promise of a senator’s post to Nelson is a promise to the people of Ba Kelalan. If the BN leadership cannot keep a promise to a single person like Nelson, then how can they keep promises to 7,000 people?” he asked, referring to the 7,375 registered voters in Ba Kelalan.
“As such, the voters of Ba Kelalan should not be kept in the dark regarding the senator post as promised. Although the promise is verbal, it was conveyed by the party president, a person of integrity,” he stressed.
Liang also said he wished the blame game by some BN leaders over the choice of BN candidate for Ba Kelalan would just stop.
“The finger pointing among BN leadership for the wrong decision on choice of candidate for Ba Kelalan would bring no benefit to the people. If the senator post is given to Nelson, that will be good enough (for us). That will be our hope of BN bringing further development to Ba Kelalan,” he said.
“If the promise is sincere and real, the relevant person out there should come up with an explanation on the matter to the people of Ba Kelalan (if it is not for real),” he pointed out.
In the May 7 state election, PKR state chairman Baru Bian was returned as Ba Kelalan assemblyman after beating lawyer Willie Liau (BN-SPDP) with a majority of 538 votes. Around 70 per cent of the 7,375 registered voters cast their votes.
Both men contested against each other in the 2011 state election, when BN dropped Nelson to pave way for Willie to stand on a BN ticket.