Sylvester Entri Muran
MIRI: Chinese voters’ decision to stay out of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government should be respected, said Sylvester Entri Muran.
The Marudi assemblyman pointed out that their stand was made clear when they voted for the opposition during the recently concluded 10th state election, which saw only two Chinese candidates – Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh and Datuk Lee Kim Shin – win.
He said this when asked to comment on the mauling of SUPP, where even its party president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan was shown the door by the constituents in Piasau constituency, and Chinese representation in the BN was almost wiped out.
“In this situation, the Chinese should not question the line-up of the state cabinet under the leadership of YAB Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud if they are not represented in the Barisan Nasional government,” he said.
SUPP lost 13 out of the 15 urban seats it contested, with its Bumiputera candidates winning four rural seats.
Entri said this inferred that the majority of the Chinese are happier with the leadership of DAP and PKR and had wanted both parties to form the state government.
The debate to accommodate non-elected Chinese in the cabinet does not hold water at all, he added, stressing that by voting for the opposition the community preferred their voices to be represented by them.
Entri pointed out that in a democratic country it is only fair for winning candidates to be included in the line-up of the government to reflect the voters’ wishes.
“In this situation, Bumiputra voters had shown their confidence in the Barisan Nasional government and should be given more appointments in the government.
“The Penans who solidly supported BN candidates should be represented in the government through their elected representatives, as in the case of my constituency Marudi,” he stressed.
Entri is against any amendment to the state constitution to accommodate non-elected representatives in the government, saying such opportunity should be given to minority groups who supported BN rather than to the majority who rejected it.