LITTLE ‘CATS’: The Chief Minister(back row, third left) together with (from left) Kuching City North Datuk Bandar Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai, Kuching City South Mayor Datuk James Chan, Taib’s wife Puan Sri Ragad Kurdi Taib, Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Offi ce (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman and State Legislative Assembly speaker Datuk Amar Asfi a Awang Nassar during the launching of the 25th anniversary celebration of Kuching City.
IN ACTION: Children dressed in cat costume performing at the event.
Chief Minister assures former SPDP leaders of place within state’s ruling coalition
KUCHING: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has assured that Barisan Nasional (BN) has a place for former Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) leaders dubbed as the Group of Five (G5) as long as they remain loyal to the coalition.
Asked to comment on the group’s intention to join any other state BN component party because the door for them to return to their old party has been shut, Taib as state BN chairman said they should not be in a hurry to do so.
“I think they should not be in a hurry to do so but my guarantee to them is we don’t kick people out if they are intensely very loyal to BN and we will find some accommodation for them somehow,” he said.
He told reporters this after launching the 25th anniversary celebration of Kuching City at the State Indoor Stadium in Petra Jaya here yesterday.
Recently the group’s spokesperson, Assistant Minister for Community Services Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie, said they were planning to join any other BN party as they felt that a recent statement by SPDP president Tan Sri William Mawan that the party would field seven new faces in the 11th state election meant that Mawan no longer harboured any thought of reconciliation.
However, Nansian did not reveal which of the other three BN parties – Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and troubled Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) – they planned to join.
The G5 comprising four incumbent assembly persons who won their seats on BN-SPDP ticket in the 2011 state election became party less after they were sacked from the party.
One of them, Assistant Agriculture Minister (Farmers Organisations) Datuk Sylvester Entri was expelled from the party in November 2011, while the other four including former Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe left the party in January last year.
Besides Nansian and Entri (assemblymen for Tasik Biru and Marudi respectively), the other two assembly persons are Assistant Minister for Childhood Education and Family Development Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau).
Since then, the group had been using the yet-to-be-registered BN Club to continue serving their respective constituencies as BN elected representatives.
Meanwhile, the G5’s intention to join another state BN component party was well received by PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Masing.
“Since SPDP can’t compromise with the G5, it is better for them to join other BN parties rather than joining the opposition.
“We can’t leave them in the lurch in perpetuity. If they wish to join PRS we will certainly kindly consider their request. Such move, I believe, will not disappoint BN supporters in their respective kawasan (area),” Masing stated.
A senior politician, meanwhile, opined that if there was any BN party that they wish to join, it should be PRS. He dismissed PBB because PBB already has 35 seats, and the inclusion of just another assemblyperson would give the party the simple majority to form the government on its own.