(From fifth left) Lau, deputy chairman Teo Boon Siew and others at the press conference.
SIBU: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) central region has urged Pakan assemblyman Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom to give up one of his positions as assemblyman or MP.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, its chairman Dato Lau Cheng Kiong said:
“We are against William Mawan as MP for Saratok and a state assemblyman for Pakan at the same time.”
“He cannot serve the people well in his dual role as MP and assemblyman,” Lau reasoned.
Thus, he urged Mawan to decide which position he would let go off.
Meanwhile in Kuching, a call has been made for Mawan to surrender his Saratok parliamentary seat to SPDP, now that state election is over.
SPDP Youth chief Robert Ayu and Wanita chief Datuk Chew Yen Chiew made this demand in a joint statement released yesterday.
They claimed that Mawan, former president of the now defunct Teras, agreed to step down as MP for Saratok to contest as direct BN candidate for Pakan recently.
They referred to previous press reports in which Chief Minister and state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Patinggi
Tan Sri Adenan Satem made it clear that a MP must not stand as BN candidate in the state election.
“Thus, we now demand the seat be given back to SPDP to enable a by-election to be carried out soonest.
“Saratok seat has always been ours, so it must be returned to us. In fact, we have already prepared for a by-election for Saratok as that is what was promised to us,” they said.
In the 2013 general election, Mawan who was then SPDP president contested and won the Saratok seat on the BN-SPDP ticket.
The just-concluded state election saw Mawan contest as direct BN candidate, successfully defending his Pakan seat by a majority of 426 votes in a three-cornered fight.