Source: Borneo Post, 4 March 2012

KAPIT: The pro tem committee of SPDP N 54 Pelagus led by its chairman Tuai Rumah John Asun and his deputy Ma Tian Ho has unanimously reached a common stand that those who were expelled, resigned or left the party should relinquish either as ‘wakil rakyat’ and ‘ministerial post’ in the government or councillor in the local council.

John Asun said the pro tem committee of SPDP N 54 Pelagus has deliberated on the matter concerning the expulsion of ‘five SPDP game and their followers’ after they failed to response to the show case letter.

“We stand firm to support the decision of the party to take the disciplinary action against those who went against the party constitution and to remain as the staunch supporter of party president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom and his team of leaders to steer the party into the future.

“We hereby call upon those who are expelled from the party or have left the party to relinquish their political appointments; ‘wakil rakyat’ status, ‘ministerial post’ in the government or councillor in the local council.

“They are nominated by the party, so when they leave, they should leave everything behind and return the seat to the party”, said John Asun when met by pressmen after the meeting held at a local restaurant on Friday, March 2.

“We appeal to the party to nominate a political secretary or community headmen namely pemanca and penghulu from the non-contested constituencies, bearing in mind SPDP members from these constituencies are loyal party members,” he added.

MORE JOINING SPDP: Capt Zainuddin (third left, front row) receiving the new membership applications from Brandah. Also seen is Asing (second left, front row) and David Jiku (right, front row). Photo credit: Borneo Post

Source: Borneo Post
28 February 2012

KOTA SAMARAHAN: SPDP Muara Tuang Division has described the actions of the five elected representatives sacked from the party recently as ‘piggy riding’ on the back of the Barisan Nasional (BN) for personal gains.

During its triennial general meeting (TGM) here on Sunday, its chairman Edward Brandah Madi said he believed the five were still clinging onto BN as they wanted to keep their ministerial or GLC-linked positions.

He opined that technically when they were sacked, they should be allowed to remain as mere elected representatives and confine their activities to only serving the people.

Brandah, who said this in his welcoming speech, was referring to Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe and assemblypersons Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie (Tasik Biru), Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran (Marudi), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau).

“We may be just grassroots members but we can read their movements. We can also see wolves in sheepskins. They are pretending to serve their own constituents but all along they are politicking and colluding with the people to go against the party or other BN component parties.

“We want their ministerial and GLC-linked posts be stripped from them, otherwise, they are just piggy riding on the BN.”

Brandah said he believed the majority of SPDP members were with the party, which is a “disciplined and steady party”.

He pointed out that new membership applications that kept pouring in meant SPDP remained seen as a relevant political party.

Last Friday, party president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom said he had no qualms with the sacked elected representatives continuing to serve their respective constituents, so long as they confined themselves to serving them (constituents) only.

But their politicking, in the pretext of serving the people, would undermine BN solidarity, Mawan said.

“What we cannot tolerate is their negative politicking because it would not only undermine BN election preparations but also the party’s reconsolidation process. They should confine their activities to serving the people until nomination day. If that is the case, then we have no problem with it.”

Before their sacking for gross insubordination, the five were at loggerheads with Mawan for almost two years.

Meanwhile, the SPDP Muara Tuang TGM resolved that party president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom be returned to the helm unopposed during the party’s triennial general assembly (TGA) in Bintulu on March 18.

The meeting on Sunday saw Brandah returned unopposed as division chairman. Its former vice chairman (VC) I David Jiku was elected unopposed as division deputy chairman, while former VC II Luho Entai was elected unopposed as VC I.

Sandai Batan, Bungang Lidi, Bakil Saban, Redan Jelan and Edmund Punggi were elected committee members.

Appointed posts went to Alon Tair (VC II), Reggie Timpon (VC III), David Goh Bu Seng (treasurer), Faith Chau Kamis (assistant treasurer), Churchill E. Drem (secretary), Dustin Sagih (assistant secretary), and Gopal A/L Parumal (information chief).

One of their resolutions was to accept former deputy chairman Alexander Asing Sadai’s resignation from the division as the latter will be moving to the northern region.

The TGM was declared opened and closed by SPDP supreme council member Capt Zainuddin Tan Sri Hamdan, who also functioned as the southern region’s liaison officer.

Brandah, on behalf of SPDP Muara Tuang which has over 300 members, handed over 70 membership applications to Capt Zainuddin. About 70 members, including new ones, attended the TGM last Sunday.

By Churchill Edward, Borneo Post

Paul Igai

KUCHING: SPDP claims ROS approval to hold postponed 2010 AGM on March 17.

The Registrar of Societies (ROS) has given Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) the green light to hold its outstanding annual general meeting (AGM) and triennial general assembly (TGA) on two consecutive days.

SPDP deputy secretary-general Paul Igai clarified that this arrangement was agreed by the ROS to make up for the AGM which was not held in 2010 due to several reasons including preparation for the state election.

The party held its last TGA here in 2009 and the next TGA must be held by August this year. The party must hold two AGMs in between the TGAs but it only managed to hold only one, in 2011 in Bintulu, after the last TGA.

The next AGM will be held on March 17 followed by a supreme council meeting before the TGA scheduled for March 18 at Bintulu Civic Centre. Around 800 delegates and official observers are expected to fill the centre.

“The AGM and TGA look like they are close together but technically they are not held simultaneously. The ROS approved the arrangement to make up for the AGM which has been postponed in 2010 due to several reasons including preparation to the last state polls,” he said.

Paul who is also a political secretary to the Chief Minister was responding to queries from party grassroots members who doubted the validity of the arrangement.

When contacted yesterday, SPDP Youth Chief and lawyer Robert Ayu said he had no qualms about the arrangement because technically it could be done in such manner provided the events were held accordingly and properly.

Last Saturday, SPDP secretary-general Nelson Balang Rining said the party was monitoring party divisions which might be facing problems in the run up to the TGA. He said the party had until March 2 to determine whether there were problematic or troubled divisions.

So far, Balang said, there were no troubled divisions and if there were they would be referred to the supreme council for further action to be taken.

There are fears on the ground that confused and disgruntled members could create havoc within some divisions following the sacking of five office bearers who are elected representatives.

Their memberships were terminated by the party supreme council because they committed gross insubordination and undermined party stability.

Some SPDP grassroots members have also raised their misgiving over the arrangement because they feared the party could run into technical and legal problems as they have not seen a letter from ROS approving the two meetings to be held within a day of each other.