Five rebellious MPs face the sack

SPDP president William Mawan claims the party did not disciplinary action against the group earlier because it thought the dissenting voices were 'just jokers'.

KUCHING: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) is expected to sack five of its members who have been working against the interests of the party.

The five are Mas Gading MP Tiki Lafe, assistant ministers Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru) and Sylvester Enteri (Marudi) and elected representatives Rosey Yunus (Berkenu) and Paulus Gumbang (Batu Danau).

(Nansian is Assistant Environment Minister while Enteri is Assistant Public Utilities Minister.)

In January 2010 the five, popularly known as “SPDP 5” stormed out of a supreme council meeting following major disagreements with the party.

Since then the five have failed to attend supreme council meetings or functions organised by the party.

Speaking to reporters after chairing a supreme council meeting, SPDP president William Mawan Ikom said: “The supreme council today made a unanimous decision to refer them to the disciplinary committee.

“The committee headed by Professor Dr Safiq Abdullah will report to the supreme council within two weeks. From here the supreme council will look into the report.

“If the committee says sack, we will sack them,” he said.

‘We thought they were joking’

The other members of the committee are Dr Francis Wong, Vincent Tan, Theresa Udan and Wendy Trang.

Mawan, who is State Social Development and Urbanisation Minister, said that for the past two years the five have failed to attend the party’s supreme council meetings.

“We are very concerned about party discipline as it affects our unity and also our position as a Barisan Nasional component party.

“We are particularly concerned with the coming general election,” he said.

Asked whether the party is prepared to lose them, Mawan retorted: “Are they ready to lose the party and go without it?

“Party interest is greater than the interest of the five, and the time has come for us to take action.”

Mawan said the party did not take action against them earlier because it thought that they were not serious.

“We thought they were joking. Even if they are joking and are trying to push too much, I, as president, am answerable to the party.

“We are very accommodating and flexible. I am the most tolerant, and the most peaceful president. But there is a red line that nobody should cross.

“The moment you cross the red line, then action has to be taken against you as the party’s interests cannot be subservient to your interests,” he added.

The party is using the latest amendment to the constitution, which has just been approved by the Registrar of Societies, to take action against the five.

Another ‘Larry Sng’ scenario?

Meanwhile, Mawan refused to comment on allegations that he was creating another “Larry Sng” scenario by sacking the group, especially influential leaders such as Nansian and Enteri.

“I have no comment. It is up to you to interpret, and I am not worried at all of losing them,” he told FMT.

Sng was partyless after he was sacked in 2006 by Parti Rakyat Sarawak president James Masing. But despite this he was retained by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud as an assistant minister until the state election in April 2011.

Nansian and Enteri are likely to be retained by Taib as assistant ministers even if they are partyless.

Moreover, the five of them are known to be “PBB men” who were nominated by the party to contest on SPDP ticket.

On the party’s preparation for the coming general election, Mawan said that the party would re-nominate three of its four Members of Parliament.

The three are Jelaing Mersat for Saratok, Jacob Sagan Dunggau for Baram and Tiong King Sing for Bintulu.

The fourth MP, Tiki Lafe (Mas Gading), likely to be dropped as he is a member of the “rebels”. group.