KUCHING: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president Dato Sri William Mawan said yesterday that the party had nothing to do with the lobbying for corporate figure Dato Sri Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib to stand in Sadong Jaya.
He dismissed the claims that his party was behind the memorandum calling for the nomination of Bekir as Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) candidate in Sadong Jaya in the next state election as baseless.
“This is merely rumours. In fact, it is news to me. I can’t claim that the rumours are true or originated from SPDP.
“But I am happy if Bekir is nominated to contest. If the people want him, and should he contest, there’s nothing wrong with it.
“After all, he is the son of the chief minister and nephew of Muara Tuang assemblyman Dato Sri Muhammad Ali Mahmud. They have a ‘legacy’ there,” said Mawan, who is Social Development and Urbanisation Minister, when met at his office here.
He said when Taib was Asajaya assemblyman, he and Sadong Jaya
incumbent Datuk Wan Abdul Wahab Sanusi shared the same vision for their development programme, considering that both constituencies were more or less of the same area collectively.
Mawan, however, advised the public to ignore baseless rumours, saying such rumours “could easily ruin people’s life.”
The rumours surfaced on Monday when the media reported Sadong Jaya PBB vice-chairman Abdul Mutalib Juhaili as claiming that the group which submitted the resolution wanting Bekir to stand in Sadong Jaya for the coming state election was not from the PBB in the area.
Abdul Mutalib alleged that the particular group was ‘paid’ by another party or group with the intention to stir up disharmony in PBB and the Barisan Nasional (BN).