‘Winnable’ Nancy a threat to ‘powerful’ minister

Being a hardworking and approachable MP is apparently not a good thing in Sarawak, at least in the case of Batang Sadong parliamentarian Nancy Shukri.

KUCHING: First term Batang Sadong MP Nancy Shukri’s approachability may well be her political death. Nancy’s popularity with natives in her constituency is apparently irking Assistant Minister Naroden Majais who is feeling undermined.

Naroden is the asemblyman for Simunjan which is in the Batang Sadong parliamentary constituency. The other state constituency under Batang Sadong is Sadong Jaya, held by Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) candidate Aidil Lariwoo.

The open bickering between Nancy and Naroden has sparked rumours that the former may be dropped from contesting in the 13th general election.

According to sources from Simunjan, the bickering is over their approach to helping the people especially among the Iban community.

“She is too close to many of the Tuai Rumah (longhouse chiefs) in Simunjan, so much so that a number of them have been dismissed as longhouse chiefs, while some have not been paid their monthly allowance of RM450.00.

“No reason was given for their dismissal.

“One of them is Tuai Rumah Erie of Kpg Empelas who has taken the government to court for terminating his service as Tuai Rumah even though he is elected by the people to be their chief,” said the sources.

(The judgment on his case will be delivered next week in the Kuching High Court).

“Nancy is always very helpful to her constituents and distributing her minor rural projects to the villages and longhouses while Naroden is always busy helping himself with his oil palm plantations,” alleged the sources.

“She appears to be free from corruption,” they added.

‘Powerul’ Naroden

Besides being Assistant Minster for Resource Planning and Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development, Naroden is a very powerful man.

“He is Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s man,” they said, pointing out that Naroden has been given 16,468 hectares of land, the bulk of it is native customary rights (NCR) land.

According to Sarawak Dayak Iban Association secretary general Nicholas Mujah, Naroden is more interested in his business activities.

Naroden owns five companies (Pelita Nirwana Muhibbah S/B, Gedong Plantation S/B, Hydroflow S/B, Indranika Jaya S/B, and Melor Gemilang) which are involved in the planting of oil palm.

According to the 2005 Reports of Land and Survey Department, a total of 16,486 hectares of land was given to his companies to plant oil palm.

In Gedong, Simunjan, the native landowners won a case in the Kuching High Court against one of Naroden’s companies.

Rumours have been spread that PBB is likely to replace nine MPs, and among them is reportedly Nancy.

The other eight are MPs Rohani Abdul Karim (Batang Lupar), Wahab Dollah (Igan), Michael Leo Toyad (Mukah), James Dawos Mamit (Mambong), Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib (Kota Samarahan), Ahmad Lai (Sibuti), Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (Santubong) and Douglas Uggah Emas (Betong).

PBB claims Nancy is not native to Batang Sadong and that her place will be given to a local who is a practicing lawyer. Nancy, 50, was born and bred in Kuching.

Winnable candidate

Even though she is serving her first term as the MP for Batang Sadong, Nancy has created so many enemies in PBB who consider her fast rise and popularity within the party as a threat.

Nancy is currently the secretary-general of the women wing of PBB.

According to her supporters jealousy was the reason behind a recent smear campaign against her.

Formerly a political secretary to Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, Nancy was active in the Sarawak Federation of Women’s Institute and various other non-governmental organisations before she entered politics.

She was the owner of NS Training and Consultancy Services, before being called to serve public office.

Adding to her credentials is the fact that she is a graduate in law from the University of Hull, Britain, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Ohio University.

Given a chance, Nancy has the potential to move further up in the party’s hierarchy as she is known to be hard working

In a recent interview with a local daily, Nancy expressed disappointment over the speculation that she was one of the nine to be dropped, and is leaving her political future to her party and BN leadership.

In the last election, she defeated PKR candidate Piee Ling by a majority of 5,425 votes.

“If she is allowed to defend her seat, Nancy Shukri is not only a winnable candidate as she has the strong support of the people, but she is also expected to increase her vote majority,” said her supporters.