PDP stakes its claim on Saratok seat

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KUCHING: The Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) has staked its claim on Saratok parliamentary seat.

Saratok, which is currently held by Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, who is partyless, has traditionally been allocated by the Barisan Nasional (BN) to PDP – formerly known as  Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

PDP supreme council member Datuk Henry Harry Jinep said while it is up to the BN leadership to decide on the candidate for the parliamentary seat, the candidate must be from PDP and BN.

“Saratok all the while belongs to PDP in the spirit of BN. That seat must be given back to PDP. Whoever the candidate is, it’s up to the BN leadership to decide but it must be from PDP (and) Barisan Nasional,” he told reporters at his Gawai Dayak open house at Bung Konis near here on Thursday.

During the last parliamentary election Mawan, who was then SPDP president, contested in Saratok and defeated Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) Ali Biju by a 2,081-vote majority.

Mawan later quit SPDP following internal disputes in May 2014 to join the newly-formed Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras).

Last year, he was fielded as a direct BN candidate to defend Pakan in the state election, which he won by a slim majority of 426 votes.

Mawan has hinted that he is still able stand for BN in Saratok.

A PDP party insider recently said Mawan’s fate would lie in the hands of the state and federal BN chairmen Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Without disclosing names, the PDP insider said the party has identified a few individuals as potential candidates for Saratok in the event Mawan is dropped. PDP stakes its claim on Saratok seat

KUCHING: The Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) has staked its claim on Saratok parliamentary seat.

Saratok, which is currently held by Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, who is partyless, has traditionally been allocated by the Barisan Nasional (BN) to PDP – formerly known as  Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

PDP supreme council member Datuk Henry Harry Jinep said while it is up to the BN leadership to decide on the candidate for the parliamentary seat, the candidate must be from PDP and BN.

“Saratok all the while belongs to PDP in the spirit of BN. That seat must be given back to PDP. Whoever the candidate is, it’s up to the BN leadership to decide but it must be from PDP (and) Barisan Nasional,” he told reporters at his Gawai Dayak open house at Bung Konis near here on Thursday.

During the last parliamentary election Mawan, who was then SPDP president, contested in Saratok and defeated Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) Ali Biju by a 2,081-vote majority.

Mawan later quit SPDP following internal disputes in May 2014 to join the newly-formed Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras).

Last year, he was fielded as a direct BN candidate to defend Pakan in the state election, which he won by a slim majority of 426 votes.

Mawan has hinted that he is still able stand for BN in Saratok.

A PDP party insider recently said Mawan’s fate would lie in the hands of the state and federal BN chairmen Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Without disclosing names, the PDP insider said the party has identified a few individuals as potential candidates for Saratok in the event Mawan is dropped.