Tuai Rumah Merudi Jalin
KUCHING: The chairman of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) branch chairman Tuai Rumah Merudi Jalin has urged Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri James Masing not to misconstrue SPDP president Dato’ Seri Tiong King Sing’s statement on SPDP’s interest in Samalaju seat as a confrontation against PRS.
Merudi said in a statement yesterday, Tiong was actually voicing the wishes of SPDP members in Samalaju who had all along eyed the new seat since it was carved out of the two old state seats of Kemena and Kidurong which are within the Bintulu parliamentary constituency in which Tiong was the MP.
“SPDP has 15 branches with about 6000 members and we are in the process of forming three more branches so it is only natural that we expect the Samalaju seat to be given to SPDP.
“As far as I know PRS has no branch in Samalaju so naturally SPDP members there are disappointed the seat was not given to us as we have staked claim on the new seat from day one of its formation.”
Merudi also pointed out that SPDP had always respected the presence of other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties in other areas where the party had not established a strong presence.
Citing Kapit and the Upper Rajang area where PRS and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) were very well established as example, Merudi said SPDP had avoided staking claim over the new seat of Bukit Goram which encompasses Kapit town out of respect for the two BN parties.
The Tuai Rumah hoped that the expression of interest on Samalaju by Tiong would not jeopardise the good relationship between SPDP and PRS especially the spirit of ‘merger of the mind’ which the two parties established with Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP).
“On behalf of SPDP I wish to thank Tan Sri Masing and PRS for their support for SPDP all this while.”