Trouble brewing within PRS

This being a "very crucial election", Najib Tun Razak will not risk BN's chances in Sarawak and may retain its 'ageing' incumbents.

KUCHING: The veiled threat by Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Masing of a disciplinary action against his vice-president BillyAbit Joo who insists that he will be the candidate for Hulu Rajang is not going down well with supporters of the incumbent MP.

“Masing should have been accommodative and should not have issued such a threat to Billy ,” said his close friend and a member of PRS Supreme Council.

Requesting anonymity, the council member said: “I was shocked over the threat. Even Billy and his supporters were unhappy.

“Billy told me he still has a chance of being nominated as he puts his political career in the hand of the prime minister.

“The prime minister knows that Billy still can win.”

Masing has announced that his private secretary Wilson Ugak Kumbong who has been waiting in the wings since 2004 general election will be the candidate for Hulu Rajang in the coming election.

(Billy) Abit Joo’s insistence is, however, not only annoying Masing, but it is also causing confusion among the BN voters and members.

Masing explained that the reason for dropping Abit Joo from the list of candidates was that he had reached a plateau as far as his political contribution is concerned. Abit Joo has been Hulu Rajang MP for five terms.

Masing said that the party’s election nomination committee comprising supreme council members including the president, secretary general, women and youth chiefs felt that a younger man and a more winnable candidate should take over in Hulu Rajang.

He said the party would not take lightly to Abit Joo’s insistence of being re-nominated as a candidate for the constituency.

“I take it as defiance to party’s decision if he goes against the committee. Such stand has serious political implications,” he said, describing Abit Joo’s aggressive campaigns as defiance.

Najib won’t take chances
He however added that the “party would not take action” against Abit Joo “for the time being.”

The statement also said that the committee had decided to retain its MPs in Sri Aman (Masir Kujat), Lubok Antu (William Nyallau Badak), Kanowit (Aaron Dagang), Selangau (Joseph Entulu) and Julau (Joseph Salang).

Abit Joo was said to have promised Ugak in 2004 that it would be his last election after serving his fourth term.

In the 2008 election, Ugak was again promised that he would replace Abit Joo in the next general election.

Despite the promise, Abit Joo insisted that he would contest again to defend the seat, and he based his confidence on the fact that now the role of selecting the BN candidates from any BN component party including PRS rests with the prime minister as chairman of the Barisan Nasional.

“The presidents of the component parties and Masing included have no power. They can merely recommend their respective candidate, but the prime minister has the ultimate power to decide.

“If the prime minister thinks that Billy (Abit Joo) still can win, he is certain to pick him,” the pro- Abit Joo council member added.

The council member also pointed out that this being a “very crucial election” for Najib, the PM will only “want” to pick winnable candidates to ensure that he “still becomes PM after the election”.

The council member also said that Najib has also given every Barisan MP including Abit Joo some RM3.5 million to carry out their minor rural development projects.

He said that the incumbent MP has been effectively using the funds to his advantage.

However, in the event that Abit Joo is not selected, the council member said “Billy knows what to do.”

“He told me and his supporters not to worry. Billy knows what to do and asks us to continue with our works,” he said.

Tough for BN

Abit Joo did not indicate whether he would resign from PRS or would contest as independent in the event that he would be sacked from PRS.

It is also not certain whether he would join Pakatan Rakyat, even though there are talks in the political circles towards that end.

Nevertheless, if a disciplinary action is taken against him it would certainly undermine the chance of PRS and Barisan winning the Hulu Rajang constituency.

Both candidates George Lagong, the Pelagus assemblyman of Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) and lawyer Abun Sui of PKR are waiting to exploit the issue.

Assuming that Abit Joo is nominated, the result of the election in the constituency will also depend much on the Ugak factor. He and his supporters can play the spoiler’s role.

As one political veteran put it, whoever is being chosen by BN to contest the seat, it will be a tough battle for BN in the constituency of 19,750 voters (according to the 2011 electoral rolls).

Ibans account for about 11,519 votes, the bulk of which comes from Baleh where Masing is the incumbent assemblyman, while the Orang Ulu natives constitute about 7,658 voters who are mostly from Belaga.