Tan Sri Dr James Masing
MIRI: PRS president and Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Dr James Masing is keeping it to himself the latest development on his invitation to former SPDP leaders dubbed the G5 to join his party.
He declined to comment when asked whether any of the G5 members had taken up his offer or if there was any other development that had not been revealed.
“Just wait and see and hope for the best, but whatever we do, it must be for the benefit of the Barisan Nasional (BN) and strengthen it to face the state elections,” he said.
Masing first made the offer after the group declared their intention to join BN component parties other than the party that sacked them.
His offer drew a rebuke from SPDP, which accused him of interfering in its affairs but Masing maintained that the invitation was made for the greater good of state BN’s interest.
PRS currently is the second largest BN component party in the state.
The G5 include four state assemblypersons – Datuk Sylvester Entri (Marudi), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu), Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau) and Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie (Tasik Biru) and former Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe.
With their sacking and resignation of Meluan assemblyman Wong Judat to join Sarawak Workers Party (SWP), SPDP is left with its president Tan Sri William Mawan as the sole assemblyman for the party in the 71-seat state assembly.
The party said it would be fielding new faces in the seats allocated to it in the last state election.
Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is PBB president and state BN chairman, kept the door open for the G5, saying the ruling coalition would always have room for those loyal to it.
The G5 and their supporters have been insisting that they are fully behind BN, and even established BN service centres in their respective constituencies. Except for Dr Tiki and Paulus, the other three are serving assistant ministers in the state cabinet.