He said the party and state Barisan Nasional (BN) needed to win the people’s trust and confidence by going to the ground to rectify the situation so as to allay their unfounded fears on the proposed dam, which would affect more than 20,000 people from 25 settlements.

“I have told our Baram Member of Parliament (Datuk Jacob Sagan) to visit the longhouses and villages in the area and address their fears or else the opposition will jump in, not because they can solve their problems but they will try to appear to be the champions,” Mawan, who is also state Social Development Minister told a press conference here.

Apart from Baram, SPDP’s parliamentary constituencies are Bintulu, Mas Gading and Saratok.

He said people tended to spin negative publicity on the issue by capitalising on the people’s fears of being displaced as a result of the Bakun hydro electric dam project experience. — BERNAMA

He said Wong, who is Meluan state assemblyman, was still in the BN by way of his announcement that he was still with the SPDP and the coalition after months of speculation that he would leave.

“He (Wong) has not made any decision and it is not fair to make any judgment (now) against him. As far as I am concerned, he is still with the BN,” he told reporters here.

Dr Rundi was asked whether the state BN would act against Wong, who had announced that he would contest against the coalition in the Julau parliamentary constituency if the incumbent, Datuk Joseph Salang, is nominated as a candidate in the next general election.

Following the announcement, speculation has been rife that Wong would contest in Julau under the banner of the Sarawak Workers Party (SWP), a newly formed opposition party led by Larry Sng, a former state assistant minister. — BERNAMA

Sagan, who is Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) senior vice-president, said the media reports would confuse voters in the Baram parliamentary constituency as the party had made the decision to retain him as Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Baram seat.

“It (speculation) will demoralise people in the constituency,” he said after presenting government grants worth RM251,000 to 17 recipients at the Miri Resident Office, here, Thursday.

Media reports recently said that at least five candidates were vying for the predominantly rural Baram seat which might replace Sagan if the leadership deemed him not a winnable candidate.

On another issue, Sagan who is the Baram hydroelectric project community consultative committee (BCCC) chairman, said landowners affected by the construction of the 58km road from Long Lama to Baram dam had been assured that the ongoing survey of their land would be conducted fair and square. — BERNAMA

Datuk Joseph Salang and a youth from SPDP during the recent Gawai Dayak celebration in Pakan.

SARIKEI, June 13 (Bernama) — Julau member of parliament Datuk Joseph Salang was in high spirits after visiting more than 15 longhouses in the Meluan and Pakan state constituencies (forming the Julau seat) over the weekends.

The three-term incumbent and Deputy Minister of Information, Communications and Culture has plenty of reasons to feel so. His grip on Julau, the size of the whole state of Negeri Sembilan and currently with 20,761 registered voters, is as solid as ever and still growing.

This is despite the continuous provocations and allegations by a fellow politician that people of the two seats want him replaced.

This is because according to Wong anak Judat, the Meluan state assemblyman from a BN component party, the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), Salang is “from neighbouring Bintangor and not a local-born and bred and as such, has no real heart for Julau’s future”.

Salang’s visits to over 10 longhouses in the Nansang and Sungai Rusa interiors were unannounced. He wanted to personally check on the number of longhouses and families affected by the growing fresh water shortage.

– BERNAMA

Its president, Tan Sri William Mawan, said SPDP was a friend and partner to all BN component parties, including the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS).

“We are not PRS’ enemy in Julau, although our state assemblyman for Meluan, Wong anak Judat, has personal differences with PRS incumbent Datuk Joseph Salang, who is expected to be renominated.

We do not believe in trying to sabotage another BN component party to make us stronger,” he told a press conference today, after declaring open the party’s service centre for the state central region here.

Mawan, who is the state social development minister, said it was the Sarawak Worker’s Party (SWP) and the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) which wanted to challenge the PRS in all its six parliamentary seats.

On differences between Wong and Salang, who is state deputy information communication and culture minister, he said it should not be seen as a big problem for the BN.

“We will help Salang. We have never waiver from this understanding as a fellow BN component party,” he said.

On calls by various quarters for the party to take action against Wong, Mawan said SPDP had its own mechanism and system, should this be necessary.

“Nevertheless, what happened in Julau was Wong, merely expressing his personal differences with Salang,” he said.

On the service centre, Mawan said it would help the party serve over 10,000 members from 18 divisions in the state’s central region.

“The region covering the Sibu, Sarikei, Mukah and Kapit divisions is probably our strongest supporter base, in terms of membership strength, unity and loyalty,” he noted. — BERNAMA

Ahli SPDP yang hadir ke mesyuarat SPDP Bahagian Marudi.

MARUDI 5 Mei– Parti Demokratik Progresif Sarawak (SPDP) mengingatkan parti komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) yang lain agar tidak ‘kacau daun’ di konstituensi SPDP dalam Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU Ke-13) nanti.

“Jika ada tangan yang nakal mahu campur tangan dan apabila tindakan itu memakan diri sendiri, jangan salahkan orang lain,” kata Timbalan Presiden SPDP, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

Katanya, setakat ini parti sudah menghantar beberapa senarai calon yang berpotensi untuk bertanding di konstituensi SPDP, namun keputusan sama ada calon tersebut bertanding atau sebaliknya, belum dimuktamadkan.

“Kita memang sudah ada beberapa calon yang layak. Berdasarkan maklumat yang saya terima, calon Baram ialah Dato Jacob Dungau Sagan manakala calon Mas Gading pula akan ditukar,” katanya berucap merasmikan Mesyuarat Agung Tahunan SPDP Bahagian Marudi di Rumah Morgan, Sungai Nyipa, Marudi hari ini.

Dalam pada itu, Tiong yang juga Pengerusi Kelab Penyokong Kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BNBBC) mengingatkan rakyat di Baram agar meneruskan sokongan terhadap kepimpinan Ahli Parlimen Baram, Dato Jacob Dungau Sagan untuk meningkatkan majoriti.

“Saya menyeru Wanita dan Pemuda SPDP untuk membantu sepenuhnya melindungi semua kerusi yang ditandingi dan meningkatkan majoriti kemenangan,” katanya.

Pada majlis yang sama, Tiong mengumumkan peruntukan sebanyak RM5,000 untuk peralatan PA System.

Dato Seri Tiong King Sing berucap ketika perasmian mesyuarat SPDP Bahagian Marudi.

PEKAN BELURU, 5 Mei – Timbalan Presiden Parti Demokratik Progresif Sarawak (SPDP), Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing menyelar tindakan Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran, seorang daripada anggota SPDP 5 yang mendesak rakyat menyerahkan Kad SPDP mereka dan mengisi borang Kelab Barisan Nasional (BN) Sarawak jika mahu permohonan projek luar bandar mereka diluluskan.

Tiong yang juga Pengerusi Kelab Penyokong Kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BNBBC) berkata, semua projek yang dikendalikan oleh BN adalah bertujuan untuk membantu rakyat dan boleh didapati tanpa sebarang syarat.

“Tindakan Sylvester ini tidak ubah seperti, menyuruh si suami menceraikan si isteri jika mahu projek yang dimohon diluluskan,” katanya berucap merasmikan Pejabat SPDP Bahagian N66 Marudi di Marudi hari ini.

Ujar Tiong, SPDP yang ditubuhkan pada 2002 pernah menjadi sebuah parti yang bersatu-padu, namun baru-baru ini keadaan bertukar kecoh dan keliru yang dicetuskan oleh Kelab BN Sarawak.

“Mereka (Kumpulan 5) mendakwa menyokong BN, namun apa yang mereka lakukan sebenarnya adalah mensabotaj. Sebagai contoh, apabila SPDP menganjurkan aktiviti, mereka juga menganjurkan aktiviti yang sama. Sebagai contoh, apa yang berlaku di Rumah Joshua baru-baru ini.”

“Nasihat saya kepada Sylvester, jangan bermain kayu tiga. Saya pernah diberitahu bahawa Sylvester pernah memberitahu kepada Presiden parti Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom bahawa beberapa ahli parti mahu menyokong SPDP daripada segi kewangan dengan syarat saya dipecat.”

Menurut Tiong, namun Mawan enggan walaupun adalah adil untuk mendedah dan mencabar Sylvester memberi keterangan mengenai perkara itu.

“Mawan seorang yang ‘gentlemen’ dan budiman pada 2009. Sepatutnya Sylvester menghargai. Malah beliau menekankan pentingnya semua kaum termasuk Orang Ulu walaupun minoriti menjawat jawatan tinggi dalam parti untuk mewakili etnik mereka.”

“Mereka (Kumpulan 5) bercakap memang mudah, namun saya cabar, jika benar-benar menyokong BN mengapa tidak hadir dalam acara atau majlis SPDP-BN?.”

Ujar Tiong, sebagai pemimpin yang berdedikasi, ahli parti tidak harus menyempitkan fikiran, semangat perkauman dan gila kuasa.

Sementara itu, kira-kira 3,000 datang menghadiri majlis perasmian termasuk 57 tuai rumah. Seramai 2,000 ahli baharu juga direkrut pada majlis tersebut.

YB Wong with his supporters during the recent party TGM in Bintulu.

Source: Borneo Post

KUCHING: SPDP vice president Wong Judat yesterday asserted that he was still a BN man and very much in SPDP, casting aside aspersions that that he had put himself in a position that had become an affront to the ruling coalition.

The Meluan assemblyman also denied that he was contemplating leaving BN and SPDP.

“How can I quit BN and SPDP? I am a strongman of SPDP. I am a strong BN supporter. I brought the seat of Meluan to SPDP and therefore to BN,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Wong was clarifying a news report that he was ‘supporting’ the newly registered Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) as he was seen shaking hands with SWP prime mover Datuk Sng Chee Hua, who is tipped to contest under SWP ticket against BN possible candidate Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum in Julau in the coming 13th general election.

On this, he explained that the meeting with Sng at the function in Nanga Entabai, Julau on April 28 was by chance and not by design.

He said the function was a BN ‘Leader-Meet-The People’ session organised by Tuai Rumah Budul, and disclosed that he (Wong) had the letter from the longhouse chief to prove that he was invited to grace it.

“It was not an SWP function. It was my function as a BN assemblyman meeting the constituents,” he explained.

“I still keep the letter of invitation for all to see. It (the Nanga Entabai event) was a BN Leader-Meet-The People function. It was a friend’s event. It was therefore not a SWP function. And Datuk Sng just happened to be there,” said Wong, adding that he would explain the situation further on May 6 at Pakan, Julau.

“I will explain everything in Pakan,” he said. Pakan is an SPDP state seat currently held by its president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom who is also a senior state minister.

When told that Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) secretary-general Datuk Wilfred Rata Nissom was unhappy with the latest development in Julau, Wong replied that several quarters had capitalised on the issue.

On his take on Salang, Wong said it was indeed true he had personal problems with the PRS vice-president, whom he (Wong) described as not a winnable candidate for BN in the coming polls. He, however, said he had no problems with PRS as a party.

On April 14, Mawan told the press that the personal vendetta between Wong and Salang was real and it was manifested at a particular function where both men (Salang and Wong) were jostling over a microphone to explain what had happened to the stalled RM3 million Nanga Entabai-Rantau Limau road project.

Wong initially won Meluan as an independent by beating Sarawak National Party (SNAP) candidate, the late Geman Itam, in 2001 state polls. Subsequently he joined SPDP when SNAP was deregistered in November 2002.

Wong was known to be vocal at the grassroots level, making him a popular leader with the locals in Julau.

Sng, on the other hand, is a former Julau MP (1995 to 1999) during the era of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) before Salang, the then PBDS treasurer-general, took over from Sng. Salang is currently a federal deputy minister.

Other news article at Borneo Post on this issue:

• Is Wong Judat putting his party SPDP in hot soup?
• Salang has big plans for Julau
• Sng and Wong desperate politicians, says Julau MP

KUCHING: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) will be behind all Barisan Nasional (BN) component partners in the coming 13th general election, said its deputy information chief Datuk Peter Minos.

Minos, who is PBB Opar chairman, said the party has been directed by its leaders to stand firm, particularly behind Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) which appeared to be facing rivalry from a group coined by the media as G5 on the candidacy for Mas Gading parliamentary constituency.

“PBB is firm. We stand with our component partners all the way. PBB Opar included,” he said in SMS communication from London yesterday.

According to him, PBB practices a culture that it must be honest and sincere with its partners in both good and bad times.

“It is this culture that has earned PBB its credibility and thereby getting real and true support and confidence from its members, supporters and partners,” he said.

“Even former rivals can be won over because of their trust in PBB. Led by a leader in Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud who has the brain, ability and wisdom, PBB’s culture gets more firm and entrenched,” he added.

Minos was responding to a ‘public confusion’ arising from a statement by G5 spokesman partyless Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie that he was confident BN would once again pick Mas Gading incumbent MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe as its candidate in the coming election when SPDP had already recommended either Salcra deputy general manager Anthony Nogeh Gumbek or businessman Henry Harry Jinep.

One of the questions that arose after Nansian uttered his ‘confidence’ over the matter was – Will BN bulldoze SPDP, a BN component partner, out of the way, just to accommodate Dr Tiki who is partyless?

To this Minos reiterated that as far as PBB was concerned, the party, including PBB Opar, would be with SPDP all the way.

He said this fact and the common understanding among BN partners was manifested by the presence of PBB Tasik Biru members including its chairman John Nyigor at the BN Solidarity Dinner held by SPDP Mas Gading group at Bau Civic Centre on April 14.

The dinner saw the presence of SPDP president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom and deputy Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing who did not hide his feeling when introducing Nogeh as the most likely candidate in Mas Gading. And then at the opening of the SPDP triennial general assembly (TGA) in Bintulu on March 18, Taib who is also state BN chairman made it clear that SPDP would get to recommend its candidates in all four of its parliamentary seats to the BN and that BN would endorse them.

Apart from Mas Gading, SPDP is also allocated Baram which is being held by senior vice-president (SVP) Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan, Saratok (SVP Jelaing Mersat) and Bintulu (Tiong).