Bidayuhs hopeful its MPs included in new cabinet

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Willie Mongin

Mordi Bimol

KUCHING: The Bidayuh community will be honoured if its two MPs representing Pakatan Harapan are appointed minister in the new federal cabinet.

Temenggong Austin Dimin for the Bidayuh community in Kuching Division, said he was supportive of the idea to have at least one of them in the cabinet to represent the voice of the Bidayuh community.

They are are Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin and Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol, who won their respective seats in the just-concluded general election.

“In the previous cabinet, we had one full minister and two deputy ministers from the Bidayuh community. It is our hope that the two new MPs we have now will be in the new cabinet.

“The two MPs from Puncak Borneo and Mas Gading are both young and highly-educated. They deserve to be considered since Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said today (yesterday) that the 25-member cabinet would include young people and with representation from Sabah and Sarawak,” he said when contacted yesterday.

He also urged the Bidayuh community to unite and forget about any quarrel and differences arising from the just-concluded election.

The people have made their choice through the ballot boxes and this democratic process must be respected by all, he added.

“We should stop any quarrel now that the election is already concluded. Let’s now think more about our community at large.”

Willie succeeded in his second attempt at Puncak Borneo by defeating a new face fielded by BN, Jeannoth Sinel by 4,005-vote majority in a three cornered fight which also featured Star candidate Buln Ribos.

In Mas Gading, Mordi also in his second attempt, defeated the incumbent from BN, Datuk Anthony Nogeh, by 3,024-vote majority.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir had said in a press conference in Petaling Jaya, yesterday there is a place for Sabah and Sarawak in the new cabinet.

He also named Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as Deputy Prime Minister, Lim Guan Eng as Minister of Finance, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as Home Affairs Minister and Mohamad Sabu as Minister of Defence.

The ministerial posts yet to be filled are Education, Rural Development, Economy, Public Works, Transportation, Multimedia, Science and Technology and Foreign Affairs.

Dr Mahathir also said the four parties in the PH coalition have been asked to submit names for consideration into the cabinet.