SPDP crisis turning for the worst?

Joseph Tawie

Thursday, 11 February 2010 18:41

KUCHING – The deputy secretary general of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), Paul Igai, said today that the party is aware of the move by the five elected representatives and three members of its supreme council to leave the party.

“Yes, we are aware of their move, but we still want them to come back,” said Igai who is also a political secretary to the Chief Minister.

He said: “We must, instead, reconsolidate and re-energise the party. Focus must be on the strength of the party and the Barisan Nasional in view of the coming state election.

“Parking permits must never be an option. They are still needed in the party,” said Igai.

He said the party president, William Mawan, had met the Chief Minister and the chairman of the State Barisan Nasional, Abdul Taib Mahmud, to explain the party crisis.

Political observers, however, see the crisis has worsened because of the move by the five elected representatives and three of the supreme council members to quit the party.

Decision to leave SPDP

The elected representatives are Sylvester Enteri (state assemblyman for Marudi), Peter Nansian (state assemblyman for Tasik Biru), Rosey Yunus (state assemblywoman for Bekenu), Paulus Gumbang (state assemblyman for Batu Danau) and Dr. Tiki Lafe (MP for Mas Gading).

The three supreme council members are Peter Gani, George Garai and Eda Egar.

NOTE: IN FACT ALL THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ABOVE ARE PBB's Party members - planted 'MOLES' to destroy SPDP in time of crisis. William Mawan is too gullible to understand PBB Politics of 'break and rule' to perpetuate Taib rule of Sarawak. Taib's political strategy is create 'unrest' in BN component party to keep him in power for perpetuity and to show to the Federal BN leaders that without him BN in Sarawak will disintegrate.

According to highly-placed sources, the group met the Sarawak Chief Minister on Wednesday to inform him of their decision to leave SPDP. They are asking to be parked with Parti Rakyat Sarawak which is headed by James Masing.

Last Thursday, they met with the Prime Minister informing him of their decision to leave the party.

The sources said that they were told by the Prime Minister not to form another party as they might not be able to join Barisan Nasional later.

Maintaining status quo

But the Prime Minister was said to have told them to consult the Chief Minister as to which party they should be parked.

The crisis precipitated last month after Mawan dropped Enteri as secretary general and replaced him with state assemblyman for Ba’Kelalan Nelson Balang Rining,

Enteri accused Mawan of not honouring his promise of maintaining status quo after listing him as one of the “President’s men” before the party went for its election last year.

A PRS leader, who refused to be identified, has welcomed the move by the group to be parked with PRS as it would not only enlarge the party’s elected representatives, but would also open the way for the merger of Dayak-based parties.

Currently, PRS has nine state assemblymen and six MPs. — Malaysian Mirror