CM to call all parties for a meeting to decide on where to place the assemblymen who stood as BN direct candidates
Dr Rundi (back row, seventh right) in a group photo with Adenan (seated second right) and his wife Datin Patinggi Dato Jamilah Anu (seated third left) at Adenan’s Hari Raya Open House during the first day of Raya. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) will set a date to hold its supreme council meeting after the Hari Raya celebrations to deliberate further on its ‘unfinished business’ on the nine partyless elected representatives.
Its secretary general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, who is the party’s president, was currently in the midst of getting BN component parties together for a meeting to decide on the best decision to solve the ongoing issue.
“The chief minister is trying to get everyone to sit down and probably to see where to put them. We may also seek for advice from BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the prime minister himself.
“But these nine elected representatives are all BN men so there’s no issue for us not to strengthen BN. It’s just a matter of which party they want to be associated with,” he told reporters when met at Adenan’s Hari Raya Open House at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here on Wednesday.
Dr Rundi, who is also state BN secretary general, was referring to the nine partyless elected representatives; namely Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom (Pakan), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu), Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau), Datuk Dr Jerip Susil (Mambong), Ranum Mina (Opar), Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa (Engkilili), Dato Gerawat Gala (Mulu), Miro Simuh (Serembu) and John Ilus (Bukit Semuja) who have all applied to join PBB.
According to him, the assemblymen appeared to have only one choice in mind and that is to join the state BN’s backbone party. “But we would not take them based on what they have chosen. What we will do is get everyone to sit down and make decision for the good of the state BN and especially BN Malaysia.”
However, Dr Rundi pointed out that it was best if they were to return to their respective parties.
“We want them to go back to their own party. But if they refuse to go, what can we do? We can’t allow them to be partyless for too long. But having said that, we are not trying to entice them to join PBB either. There are some other parties trying to entice and lobby for them to join their party also. That is okay as long as they are in BN of course,” remarked the Public Utilities Minister.
When asked if UPP was part of the BN coalition that the nine elected representatives could consider, Dr Rundi referred to his previous statement where he had suggested that it was best for UPP to dissolve instead.
UPP president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh and senior vice president Datuk Tiong Thai King contested as direct BN candidates in the May 7 state election and won Bawang Assan and Dudong respectively.
“If they refuse to dissolve, they will be a party but they are not in BN. I hope UPP will do some rethinking about this. My advice to them is for the sake of BN, they have to find ways to make sure they will be part of BN,” he said.
Asked if this meant that UPP members should rejoin SUPP, he replied: “Yes, I agree. They should be one with SUPP.
“I hope they can sit down but apparently they are not willing to do so. We have been trying to push them but I hope one day, they will find ways.” On whether the state BN had given these two parties an ultimatum to hold a meeting together, Dr Rundi said it was unnecessary as members of both parties were old enough to know what is good and bad for their parties.
“Apart from that, the state BN is so strong now so there is no reason for us to rock the boat.”
In an immediate response, UPP secretary general George Lo said UPP was willing to discuss a merger with SUPP.
“We are willing to sit down with SUPP to discuss a merger. We had a lunch with SUPP president and the ball is in his court. He said he would go back to his CWC to get a mandate to commence discussion with us on coming back together.
“We are waiting for him. We have been waiting for him since that day,” said Lo in a Whatsapp message to The Borneo Post.