Adenan wants direct BN assemblymen to return to parties

Oriental Daily News, May 11, 2016

Kuching, May 10 – Sarawak Chief Minister cum Sarawak Barisan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Adenan today called in the elected direct BN state assemblymen, according to speculation, the state assemblymen concerned were being urged to return to their original political parties.

Sarawak BN had introduced the direct BN candidates during the recent state election, and stated that these direct BN candidates could join any of the BN component parties or BN-friendly parties once they were elected. Now the 11 elected direct BN assemblymen must make up their mind which BN parties they are going to join. Their decision would also change the Sarawak BN component parties’ political landscape.

The 11 assemblymen are Opar state assemblyman Ranum Mina, Miro Simuh who had won the Serembu seat, Bukit Semuja state assemblyman John Ilus, Engkilili state assemblyman Dr Johnical Rayong, Pakan state assemblyman Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, Dudong state assemblyman Tiong Thai King, Bawang Assan state assemblyman Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, Bekenu state assemblyman Rosey Yunos, Mulu state assemblyman Dato Gerawat Gala and Batu Danau state assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang.

Among them, five were formerly from UPP, three were from TERAS.

In recent days both SUPP and SPDP have extended olive branch to welcome back their leaders who have “left home”, they have also invited other direct BN state assemblymen to join their parties, hoping to expand their political landscape and strengthen their discourse power.

TERAS has yet to make clear their stand

UPP was holding a meeting this afternoon; however, the party did not make it clear whether it would ask five of their former leaders who had quit the party to contest as direct BN candidate to return to the party, it merely mentioned that the party would issue a statement soon.

TERAS has until now not made any similar call.

However, William Mawan when asked by reporters at Wisma Bapa in Kuching, confirmed that Adenan Satem had called in them but refused to disclose the details of the meeting.

He said in brief that the news report of one of the English dailies today was more than enough, implying that SPDP had indeed invited direct BN state assemblymen to join SPDP.

“I have nothing to talk about the meeting, the news report today has said enough.”

Besides, according to See Hua Daily News, its reporter had contacted Wong Soon Koh today on which BN party he had decided to join, Wong said he would make announcement within one or two days, it was not appropriate for him to make any statement at this moment.

According to preliminary conjecture it is believed that Adenan would advise Wong Soon Koh to return to SUPP and team William Mawan to return to SPDP, another three direct BN state assemblymen who were originally from PBB to return to PBB.

On the other hand, SUPP President Datuk Sim Kui Hian also appeared at Wisma Bapa today, when asked by the media, he replied briefly that the meeting had merely discussed on the new state cabinet and no other issue.

Sim Kui Hian was said to have the chance of being appointed as deputy CM in the new state cabinet after he won the Batu Kawah seat.

SUPP had held the deputy CM post in the past, but during the political Tsunami in 2006 state election, its president Tan Sri George Chan was defeated and since then, the party had lost the post.