Penguang (fifth left) and his wife Datin Monica Ukong (third left) join the grassroots leaders from Batu Danau in a group photo during the PDP dinner in Limbang.
LIMBANG (April 15): The Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) will work closely with fellow component parties under the state ruling coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in restoring the people’s support, especially for the Batu Danau seat in the next state election.
PDP vice-president Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil said such collaboration was necessary in addressing the party’s concern about the political development in Batu Danau in the 12th state election, which was called in December 2021.
He said for that election, incumbent Paulus Palu Gumbang from the GPS narrowly won the seat with a 706-vote majority.
“While we won Limbang with a large majority in the parliamentary polls (in 2022), the majority of 700 votes in Batu Danau was worrying.
“We must take steps to address what’s happening there,” he said in his speech at a PDP dinner in Purnama Hotel on Thursday.
In this regard, Penguang who is Deputy Minister I of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Sarawak, called upon all PDP members to continue maximising the utilisation of resources, capabilities and skills in serving the people, despite the party ‘only having a handful of seats in Sarawak’.
“We should be driven by our principles, and not on the number of seats that we won.
“Upon ‘speaking out’ at the cabinet level and at the leadership level, I’m sure we would be supported and respected, even if we had few seats – only five assemblymen,” said the Marudi assemblyman.
In the 12th state election, Paulus Palu Gumbang polled 3,030 votes in Batu Danau, defeating rivals Ali Adap from Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) who received 2,324 votes, Racha Balang from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) who had 268 votes, and Dr Petrus Bulan from Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) who got only 80 votes.