‘Young’ Riot not ready to give way to new face

The five-term Serian MP is upset with calls for someone younger to be selected as a candidate in the next general election.

SERIAN: Deputy Foreign Minister Richard Riot today said he knew his strengths as the five-term member of parliament for Serian amidst recent calls that the three current Bidayuh MPs, including
himself, should step down in the next general election.

Expressing unhapppiness over the statement made by Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) president Ik Pahon that the three MPs should stand aside and let younger candidates come forward, Riot said, at only 59 years, he was still young.

“I do not want to be over confident but I know my strengths,” he told Bernama here before leading a 100-member 1Malaysia Jalur Gemilang big bikers to Kampung Pichin near here.

Apart from Riot, the other Bidayuh MPs are Deputy Tourism Minister Dr James Dawos Mamit (Mambong) and chairman of the National Service Training Council Dr Tiki Lafe (Mas Gading).

Pahon had said that the Bidayuh community wanted effective, robust and vibrant leaders to look after its interest but if they were renominated to defend their respective seats, then they should identify their successors to ensure there was continuity.

However, Riot said that Pahon, as a senior civil servant and president of DBNA, which was non-political, should stay away from politics.

Riot, who is also Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) assistant secretary-general, said SUPP Serian branch had also expressed support for him to be retained in the coming parrliamentary polls.

In the last parliamentary election, in 2008, Riot defeated Sylvester Belayong Jayang of the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) by a majority of 13,427 votes.

His political career began in 1990 after he won the Serian seat as an independent but subsequently contested under the SUPP-Barisan Nasional (BN) ticket, winning convincingly with increased majorities each time.

- Bernama