Friday, February 26

Nansian and Co have built a bridge to PRS!

Show of unity...The "SPDP Group of 5" at a press conference chaired by Masing at PRS headquarters on 24 Feb

KUCHING – As the year of the tiger starts to unfold with uncertainty, so is the relationship between two rural based parties, Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS). The relationship is not only getting jittery but also becoming wider and wider apart.

The reason: five SPDP lawmakers unhappy with their president over a number of issues including not keeping his promise of maintaining a status quo after the party’s triennial general assembly are anxious to “jump ship” to PRS under the pretext of “merger”.

During the party’s supreme council meeting last month, the five – State Assemblyman for Tasik Biru Peter Nansian, State Assemblyman for Marudi Sylvester Enteri, State Assemblyman for Batu Danau Paulus Gumbang, State Assemblywoman for Bekenu Rosey Yunus and MP for Mas Gading Dr. Tiki Lafe and three Supreme Council members namely George Garai, Peter Gani and Eda Egar walked out of the meeting when president William Mawan announced Nelson Balang Rining as a replacement for Enteri.

Initially Enteri was the leader and he gave reasons why they walked out, and one of them was that they were unhappy with the president who failed to keep his promise of keeping Enteri as secretary general. They met Prime Minister Najib and Chief Minister Taib Mahmud why they wanted to abandon SPDP and join PRS as temporary “political parkers” until the next State election.

After some time it was suggested that Peter Nansian should take over, firstly because he was a senior vice president and secondly they did not want the public to have the perception that Enteri was a “cry baby” or a sour grape if he were to continue to lead. But when Nansian took over as the leader of the renegades, they changed their intention to be parked in PRS to that of merger. This, they believed, would justify their jumping ship even though “merger” has already dead years ago.

On 24 February at a Press conference, when PRS president James Masing announced the so-called formation of merger committees of both parties, Nansian who was present again explained the justification of them reviving the merger proposal and claimed that the party president William Mawan and his deputy, Peter Nyarok of being controlled by someone so much so that they are unable to make decisions for the party including the proposed merger with Parti Rakyat Sarawak.

“We cannot move if we are being controlled by someone,” he said.

“The merger proposal has been there, five years already and nothing has moved as our president and his deputy have to refer to someone before making a decision,” he said at the joint press conference.

“We have to do it (merger) now and we are in fact doing a favour for the party and the members since they cannot do it,” said Nansian, who is also member of the SPDP merger committee.

Nyarok is the chairman of the committee. The other member is Sylvester Enteri.

“We must have the courage to do the things for the people and the country and that is why we have to start the ball rolling, because in the merger we work together in a bigger body in order to serve the rakyat better.

“We believe that what we are doing is the best and only time will tell,”
he said, adding that they were serious about it and had actually discussed a roadmap as to what to do.

Asked to name the “someone” who controlled the party, Nansian said: “You know whom I refer to”.

Earlier Masing introduced members of the “group of five” to the press at PRS headquarters. Except for Dr. Tiki Lafe, MP for Mas Gading, the others present were Nansian, Enteri, Paulus Gumbang, state Assemblyman for Batu Danau and Rosey Yunus, state Assemblywoman for Bekenu.

Rosey flew all the way from Miri just to attend the Press conference.

The “group of five” and three other members of SPDP supreme council have been in the limelight after they walked out from a SPDP council meeting last month due to major disagreements with the party president.

They have told the Press that they would never come back to SPDP and are seeking a “merger” with PRS in order to remain in the Barisan Nasional.

Commenting on their move, Masing said that PRS was very happy to welcome Nansian and his group to discuss the proposed merger between SPDP and PRS.

“This Press conference is to formally reply to Nansian’s request for merger with us. We are confident that we will be able to talk to Nansian and his group and I believe they are very serious about it.

“The merger must be genuine and must be in the spirit of cooperation; it must be inclusive, meaning to say that others can also come and join the merger.

“It is very urgent now and we cannot afford to waste time any longer especially in view of the coming election. We have to strengthen the rural-based constituencies,”
he said, pointing out that the rural-based constituencies are the “battle grounds” for the coming election.

“Whoever controls the rural areas be it BN or PRM that coalition will control the state,” he said.

Asked whether Johnichal Rayong, State Assemblyman for Engkilili and Larry Sng, State Assemblyman for Pelagus, who are both partyless be invited to join the merger, Masing said that Larry could not be invited as he has been sacked from the party.

He said Rayong also could not come in due to technical reasons. Masing did not explain.

In the meantime, SPDP will hold its supreme council meeting this Sunday (28 Feb) at its headquarters, Badruddin Road, Kuching. Top of its agenda is expected to be the “group of five elected representatives” and three other members of the supreme council who have defected to PRS through what they called “merger”.

Will the eight attend the supreme council meeting?

Nansian on behalf of the rest said: “We will cross the bridge when we come to it.”

Of course, they cannot cross the bridge, after all they have already burnt it, and what I understand is that they are going to cross another bridge to a supreme council meeting of PRS in Kapit this Saturday, 27 Feb 2010, where and when their membership will be deliberated (and accepted). - The Broken Shield


5 comments:

Banting said...

The `group of five` said they would not come back to SPDP. As long as the merger is not materialised yet, the public may brand them as `jumpship` or frog politicians.

Suntat said...

Now comes a new phrase used by Masing `sub committee merger roadmap`, indicating the merger is in initial stage. When is the main committee to take over?

Secondly, the group of five said they were not leaving SPDP. Let we see if they are attending SPDP`s supreme council meeting this Sunday.

Anonymous said...

The biggest frog breeding farm is in sarawak.Day in day out we have all these frogs giving all sort of excuses to frog-leap.No wonder that white hair loves to chop all the dayak party to bits and pieces.
Look at SUPP..intact and even if they quarrel, they are still in one piece,not like these dayaks, a slight unhappiness, they are ready to jump.

Anonymous said...

In as much as SPDP may have to listen to that one person only, believe me, PRS is equally much in the same boat to need and listen to their only one person too. And believe me more the 'one person' which PRS need to listen is not the President himself but from outside the Party. You all know whom I am also referring to.
malsia1206

Anonymous said...

As I said, BN will win big nd more land will be taken away by Taib.
All these frogs should be voted out.
PKR should win and take over the State.
Politics is like fish if it stays too long it stings!