Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom
KUCHING: Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom has hinted that he is still able to be Barisan Nasional (BN) Member of Parliament (MP) for Saratok even after the next general election.
“I am fully entrenched in servicing Saratok and I am not taking a step backward. I have moved so far and therefore it is almost impossible to make any retreat,” he said when replying to cynics over his dual status as MP for Saratok and assemblyman for Pakan.
He was asked if the comment by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas that there should not be dual representation within the BN fold had any bearing on his (Mawan) current status.
“Probably there was an understanding within PBB (Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu) but it is not a rule,” Mawan said.
Uggah is acting PBB deputy president while Mawan is the only BN direct elected representative in Malaysia.
“If in the end I cannot hold two positions, BN will have to advise me which one I have to relinquish at the appropriate time,” he said.
On the proposed unification of former members of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) in which Mawan was former president and members of Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), he said: “I think I had said enough.”
Penghulu Latan Ambau said most constituents in Saratok still wanted Mawan to be their representative as he is most capable and has a good track record.
“YB Tan Sri William Mawan is in a unique position as he is the only BN direct YB in Malaysia. Such position suits him well as he is able to create a political platform with the aim to bring even opposition members into supporting the BN. This was seen in last several elections in Saratok,” Latan said when contacted yesterday.
“Saratok is famous for political confusion and that has led to the downfall of two BN leaders – one a state assistant minister and the other a federal deputy minister and this has also led to the rise of PKR especially in Krian. Up to a point Tan Sri William Mawan has gone quite far in establishing a solid BN support base in Saratok. He also managed to block the advancement of the opposition,” Latan added.
Latan was referring to former assistant agriculture minister and former Krian assemblyman Datuk Peter Nyarok Entri; former deputy home minister and former Saratok MP Jelaing Mersat and incumbent Krian assemblyman Ali Biju of PKR, respectively.
“Mawan is fully committed to uniting former and current members of BN so that all are back to rally behind BN in Saratok,” Latan said while pointing out that Mawan was spearheading the process of elevating Saratok district to a division.
Quite recently, Uggah, who is Bukit Saban assemblyman and Betong MP, told The Borneo Post that he would not seek re-election during the next parliamentary election because a BN elected representative cannot have dual representation. This prompted the media to speculate that Mawan would be offloaded in the next parliamentary election.
However, Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg was non-committal over Mawan’s status when asked by reporters.