Tan Sri William Mawan attending to the reporters at SPDP HQ yesterday. Photo by Borneo Post

Source: Borneo Post, 11th March 2012

KUCHING: The door is still open for the five former SPDP elected representatives to rejoin the party provided they are still interested in working towards reconciliation.

SPDP president Tan Sri William Mawan yesterday said he won’t rule out the possibility of reconciliation for the sake of political progress.

“We (SPDP) are very moderate and reasonable. Reconciliation is not impossible as long as they are working towards it, and not away from it. SPDP is always open for reconciliation as it is always possible in politics.

“If they feel that they want to rejoin the party, then reapply,” said Mawan, who is also Social Development Minister, when met after chairing the party’s supreme council meeting at its headquarters in Jalan Badruddin here.

He was responding to Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s comment on Friday who said that he still believed “it is not impossible” for the five sacked elected representatives to reconcile with the party.

Taib, who is also state BN chairman, added that the group should be given time to find a way to reconcile, and that SPDP had much to lose and not in a good position without five of its elected representatives.

Agreeing that reconciliation would be a long process, Mawan said that the party could not make any shortcuts in resolving the issue as everybody’s feelings must be taken into account.

“We can be halfway or 80 per cent there (for the reconciliation), but the party is, however, guided by its constitution on this matter.”

When asked if both camps had agreed to initiate a meeting prior to the chief minister’s statement, he said SPDP had always been trying to initiate a meeting even before the party agreed to meet their request to quit the party.

He said the party needed to find out the sentiments from the opposite camp (Group of Five) as they were the ones who quit and declared a no-confidence in the party leaders.

Reminding that the five still have the responsibility of serving their constituencies and the BN, Mawan stressed the importance for all parties to work towards the reconciliation without continuing to attack each other.

When asked to comment on rumours that the group could be forming a new party called Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras), which would be registered before the 13th general election, he said SPDP would not object to the formation of the new party, but would object to it joining the BN.

“It has to be through a consensus, but SPDP’s answer will be a very big no.”

The new party is said to be the brainchild of Assistant Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru assemblyman), Assistant Public Utilities (Water Supply) Minister Datuk Sylvester Entri (Marudi assemblyman), Assistant Minister of Early Childhood Education and Family Development Rosey Yunus (Bekenu assemblywoman), Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe and Batu Danau assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang.

Source: Borneo Post, Friday 9th March 2012

KUCHING: Six Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) divisions in the northern region yesterday proposed that treasurer-general Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing become its next deputy president to succeed Datuk Peter Nyarok Entrie.

In other words, Tiong, the Bintulu MP, would be made the second man at the party’s March 18 triennial general assembly (TGA) in Bintulu, said deputy secretary general Paul Igai upon his arrival here from Miri.

Igai, who is political secretary to the chief minister, said the divisions also proposed that Nyarok be elevated to honorary life president.

Apart from that, they recommended that president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom be retained at the helm, he added.

Mawan is Social Development Minister while Tiong is federal BN Backbenchers Club chairman.

Three representatives, namely Andrew Abak (Bekenu), Stewart Aying (Lambir) as well as Gabriel Jolly and Dominic Sagan (Telang Usan) requested that SPDP monitors the negative political activities of the ‘detractors’ on the ground and report their activities to Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders for appropriate action.

Attending the meeting were divisional chairmen, deputy chairmen, secretaries and treasurers from SPDP Telang Usan, Lambir, Bekenu, Senadin, Piasau and Pujut. The joint meeting held at Telang Usan Hotel Miri was chaired by political secretary to the chief minister Peter Howell Jilan.

Igai said: “Let the party not be distracted. It is time to move forward. Let the party be steadfast in maintaining the quota of federal and state seats given to SPDP.”

He stressed that the party’s priority now was to win all four parliamentary seats of Mas Gading, Saratok, Bintulu and Baram for BN in the coming general election.

Other political secretaries to the chief minister attending the Miri meeting were Kijan Toynbee and Liew Ah Lek.

Meanwhile, SPDP Piasau Youth chief James Joshua said: “We urge all party members to be focused on the coming election and not be distracted by the action of sacked members of the party.”

He was referring to the five party-less elected representatives who had been booted out by the party for committing gross insubordination and undermining party stability.

Source: Borneo Post, 8th March 2012

KUCHING: Eighteen Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) divisions in the central region have agreed to present a resolution to ‘SPDP 5’ asking them to vacate their ministerial posts and seats in the state assembly and parliament.

They also wanted the group to resign from all their posts in the government and government-linked companies (GLCs).

The resolution was presented by Meluan Division chief Jerry Clement after a meeting in Sibu on Tuesday.

He said the resolution would be submitted to the party during its Triennial General Assembly in Bintulu on March 16 – 18

The 18 divisions are Krian, Semop, Jemoreng, Repok, Meradong, Pakan, Ngemah, Bukit Assek, Dudong, Nangka, Dalat, Balingian, Pelagus, Baleh, Tamin, Pelawan, Kakus and Katibas.

Also present at the meeting were political secretaries to the chief minister Paul Igai, Peter Howell and Liew Ah Lek who also functioned as observers.

Speaking at the meeting, Paul said the meeting, which was held for the second time, was aimed at gathering minutes from the 18 divisions before presenting them to the Registrar of Society (ROS).

“Basically, we are trying our best to avoid any mistakes in the party’s administration which may allow some quarters to use that as points to smear the party’s image,” he said.

On the 200 new members in Bukit Assek, Paul said this was very encouraging news for the party which quashed rumours that it had become irrelevant after the sacking of the five members.

Source: Borneo Post, 8th March 2012

KUCHING: SPDP deputy secretary-general Paul Igai yesterday chided one of the five partly-less elected representatives who were sacked from the party for demonising party president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom.

Igai, a political secretary to the chief minister, also said Marudi assemblyman Datuk Sylevester Entri Muran continued to be illogical in his arguments by stating that SPDP had no locus standi to talk about politics in constituencies already allocated to SPDP.

“How can he (Entri) say we (SPDP) have no locus standi? How can he say the president (Mawan) is splitting the people? Then he (Entri) should brief people what Barisan Nasional (BN) principle is all about,” he argued.

He said Entri’s insinuation that negative politicking would boomerang to SPDP was in itself negative politicking.

“By using the term ‘boomerang’ in his statement, Entri is already deploying negative politics,” he explained.

To Igai, Mawan has the right to move around because he is not only a party president but also a state minister besides being a BN representative.

“Moreover, Mawan never stopped Entri from serving the people until the election if he keeps his activities to such. The party is only against negative politicking and we believe he knows what the term means,” he said.

He told Entri and the other four sacked elected office bearers to get their facts right on who were the ones that terminated their membership, and said they were ‘piggy riding’ on BN’s back.

“The five were in fact terminated by the party which acted according to the constitution. Statements stating them piggy riding on the back of BN came from numerous divisions of the party. Asking them to be stripped off their GLC and ministerial posts also came from the divisions and grassroots members,” he said.

Paul asked: “Even now, is he (Entri) trying to throw spanner in the works by making statements on the eve of the party’s Triennial General Assembly (TGA)?”

He added: “SPDP is and has always been a harmonious party with a multi-racial setup and high level of understanding for one another.”

With regards to Mawan’s visits to Marudi or Baram, Iga said it was to harness ground support for MP Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan and that the party was doing its service to the BN as well.

“Visits to Mas Gading were also on the requests of BN members on the ground. This weekend the party will be in Bau to meet members and supporters who are very tolerant and very understanding,” he said.

“To say that the party has been splitting the people is total rubbish and to implicate the party of serving people for self interest is definitely not true,” he added.

Igai pointed out that Entri persuaded the others not to attend party supreme council meetings and was disrespectful not only to the president but also the party, which prompted the party to boot out the five for gross insubordination and undermining party stability.