Sabotaging - SPDP, G5 and DAP playing with numbers

If the last weekend happenings could be taken as the indication, then the people in Mas Gading constituency can expect free dinners every weekend prior to the Parliamentary election.

It seem that the three groups, namely SPDP, Group 5 (G5) and DAP are playing with numbers – all trying to show they have the bigger support and using their gatherings to attract attendees.

SPDP president Tan Sri William Mawan seem unhappy with action of the G5 who he accused of disrupting the party’s programmes by having coinciding events.

“Their disruptive actions to SPDP, being a component party in the BN are not the behaviour condoned by the Barisan,” said Mawan.

Mawan vowed to commit all strength and resources to wipe out all those who oppose SPDP and BN, especially in Mas Gading.

He said the party is duty bound to fight those continue to sabotage and undermine the party, and defend and safeguard all its seats and maintain solidarity within the BN.

“We have the resources and commitment to ensure that the party and BN’s interest are not undermined,” he stressed.

Mawan, who is also Senior Minister for Social Development said they have no problem with the five being elected representatives to continue serv8ing their constituencies, which are traditionally allocated to SPDP.

Meanwhile the lobby race to get nominated as the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate in Mas Gading constituency in the coming general election between Sarawak Progressive Democratic (SPDP) and G5 is becoming more hotter and competitive now.

Sources said the G5 are monitoring very closely to all SPDP movements and activities in the constituency.

According to the source, the G5 will do all they could to ‘sabotage’ activities and events organised by SPDP in the area by having their activities on the same day and time but at different venue.

“The obvious was the last Saturday’s night dinner when SPDP Tasik Biru held their solidarity dinner at the Dewan Suarah Bau while fthe G5 held their on the same date and time at the REEDEMS Centre in Singai.

The source said the G5 are also monitoring SPDP Tasik Biru proposed sports carnival and fun fair on April 27 and 28 at the Fiary Cave near here.

Mawan will officiate at the launching of the carnival on April 27 while Deputy Minister of Tourism Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit has been invited to officiate at the closing the next day.

Meanwhile for the last weekend dinner, the G5 claimed that they have successfully lure-in majority of the community leaders in the Mas Gading constituency, claiming 1000 people attended the dinner.

Even State Assemblyman for Opar is said to be among those community leaders who were at the G5 dinner, but the source said the dinner was given free for the community leaders and the other guests and that was why they attended it.

In another development, a source said the support to SPDP group faded after Mawan announced that the party has shortlisted Henry Jinep, a successful local businessman and Anthony Nogeh, Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority's (Salcra) deputy general manager as candidate for Mas Gading.

Henry is a Bisingai while Nogeh is a Bijagoi.

Sources said the voters in Mas Gading especially the Bijagoi and the Selako are not in favour of Henry Jinep, a Bisingai as the candidate as they wanted a Bijagoi to represent them, thus made them swung their supports to the G5 group.

Previously there was an agreement among the local community leaders that the State Assemblyman for Tasik Biru to come from the Bisingai community, while the representative for Mas Gading should come from the Bijagoi community.

But the support may have changed after Nogeh was announced as the frontrunner for Mas Gading constituency by SPDP deputy president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing at the party’s solidarity dinner at Dewan Suarah Bau on Saturday’s night.

Nogeh claimed that he have the support of the Chinese community leaders and the Chinese voters in the constituency.

SPDP sacked its former secretary-general Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran on Nov 25 last year and followed by four other leaders on January 14 following the part’s Supreme Council meeting on the same day.

The four stripped of their post are Senior Vice President and Tasik Biru Assemblyman Datuk Peter Nansian, Vice President and Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe, Information Chief and Batu Danau Assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang and Supreme Council member and Bekenu Assemblyman Rosey Yunus.

The five including Sylvester Entri dubbed the "SPDP 5" caused a stir within the party after declaring they have lost faith and confidence in Mawan and repeatedly issued media statements attacking the party president.

Mawan said the SPDP Supreme Council also decided that Tiki would not be re-nominated to contest in Mas Gading because he was not the most winnable candidate while Nansian can kiss good bye to Tasik Biru seat in the next state election.

Meanwhile preparation for SPDP much anticipated two-day carnival “Jom Otto Birami Bisamah SPDP” at the Fairy Cave here on April 27 and 28 is progressing smoothly and expected to attract large crowd.

Plenty of activities including sporting activities, colouring contest, poco-poco dance, cultural performance and 30 stalls selling food, drinks, handicrafts and jungle produce will fill the two-day carnival.

The event is jointly organised by Respdemop Sports and Recreation Club, the Wanita, Puteri and Putera Wings of the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and the JKKK Krokong community.

Live band performance will also be held on Friday and Saturday night at the cave’s site which is expected to attract thousands of people from the nearby villages and from far.