Barisan Nasional’s acceptance of Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) into its fold will lead to the crumbling of its whole structure, Sarawak DAP Chief Chong Chieng Jen (below) predicted.
“It will be the beginning of the crumbling down of BN because if a precedent is set, what members of a political party in the Barisan need to do is just quit the party and have sufficient number of elected representatives, the Barisan will get it back.
“Getting Teras back into BN is against past practice of the BN of 100% consensus before accepting any party wishing to join BN,” he said when asked to comment on the 11 elected reps from the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party and Sarawak United People’s Party abandoning their parties to join newly formed Teras.
Last Thursday, Social Development Minister William Mawan Ikom announced before a packed media conference after the State Assembly sitting that he had quit as SPDP president as well as from the party with immediate effect together with MP for Baram, Anyie Ngau.
Four elected reps comprising Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru), Sylvester Entri (Marudi), Paulus Gumbang (Batu Danau) and Rosy Yunus (Bekenu) who had been expelled from SPDP over two years ago also jumped to Teras.
From SUPP, Local Government and Community Development Minister Wong Soon Koh, SUPP Sibu chairman, Ranum Mina (Opar Assemblyperson), Assistant Minister for Public Health Jerip Susil (Bengoh Assemblyperson) had left the party in favour of Teras.
Deputy President of Sarawak Workers Party and Pelagus Assemblyperson George Lagong also made a similar move.
New born number two in state
Teras was formed by ex-SPDP members and supporters of the four expelled lawmakers after they disagreed with Mawan contesting the Saratok seat in last year’s parliamentary election.
Teras is now the second largest party in the state with 10 state assemblypersons and two MPs after Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu.
Other BN component parties are: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) of Land Development Minister James Masing has been pushed into third position with eight assemblypersons and six MPs, while SUPP is now left with two assemblypersons and one MP and SPDP with two MPs only.
Chong, the MP for Bandar Kuching and Kota Sentosa Assemblyperson added: “The acceptance of Teras will be a humiliation and a slap in the face for SUPP.
“The acceptance will also be a challenge to (Sarawak’s newly appointed Chief Minister) Adenan Satem’s authority and a test of his leadership after he made a number of statements regarding reconciliation with SPDP and SUPP.
“But if the inevitable happens – the breakdown of reconciliation plan as suggested by Adenan - it will also be a slap in his face,” said Chong, pointing out that his integrity is also under question.
“To me, this will be the beginning of the crumbling down of BN,” he added.
Meanwhile, PRS Secretary General Wilfred Nissom has expressed surprise at the way Mawan abandoned SPDP, the party he himself formed about 12 years ago, switching to Teras.
“His move ‘s really a surprise to us and it is equally a surprise that he is joining the very people he sacked from SPDP.
“But Teras is not a member of BN and by logic of the argument, all members of Teras are not BN,” Nissom stressed in a statement.
Reacting to Lagong’s move, PRS Deputy President Joseph Entulu Belaun said that a diner could move to another table, but he could not bring along the chair with him.
“PRS is not bothered by Lagong’s frogging to any party because Pelagus will remain allocated to PRS come the state election,” said Entulu, who is a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Meanwhile, SUPP would strongly oppose a Teras application to join the BN or as component of the BN-plus formula.
In a statement issued last night SUPP Secretary General Prof Sim Kui Hian said that there would be no chance of Teras being accepted into BN if unanimity is lacking among the ruling coalition partners.
“This is because the fundamental principle and agreement as provided for in the Barisan Nasional constitution is that any decision on an application for admission to be a component party of Barisan Nasional shall be unanimous,” he said.
Sim also stressed that all the four elected representatives who had decided to join Teras could not take with them the four seats allocated to SUPP in the last state election.
He said that SUPP vied for 19 state seats in 2011 and seven parliamentary seats in the 2013 parliamentary polls.
“These seats have been allocated to our party. This not negotiable,” Sim added.
Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Chief Minister Adenan Satem was willing to accept Teras into the State Barisan Nasional.
He said this after receiving a courtesy call from Teras elected representatives led by Mawan.
“It will be the beginning of the crumbling down of BN because if a precedent is set, what members of a political party in the Barisan need to do is just quit the party and have sufficient number of elected representatives, the Barisan will get it back.“Getting Teras back into BN is against past practice of the BN of 100% consensus before accepting any party wishing to join BN,” he said when asked to comment on the 11 elected reps from the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party and Sarawak United People’s Party abandoning their parties to join newly formed Teras.
Last Thursday, Social Development Minister William Mawan Ikom announced before a packed media conference after the State Assembly sitting that he had quit as SPDP president as well as from the party with immediate effect together with MP for Baram, Anyie Ngau.
Four elected reps comprising Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru), Sylvester Entri (Marudi), Paulus Gumbang (Batu Danau) and Rosy Yunus (Bekenu) who had been expelled from SPDP over two years ago also jumped to Teras.
From SUPP, Local Government and Community Development Minister Wong Soon Koh, SUPP Sibu chairman, Ranum Mina (Opar Assemblyperson), Assistant Minister for Public Health Jerip Susil (Bengoh Assemblyperson) had left the party in favour of Teras.
Deputy President of Sarawak Workers Party and Pelagus Assemblyperson George Lagong also made a similar move.
New born number two in state
Teras was formed by ex-SPDP members and supporters of the four expelled lawmakers after they disagreed with Mawan contesting the Saratok seat in last year’s parliamentary election.
Teras is now the second largest party in the state with 10 state assemblypersons and two MPs after Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu.
Other BN component parties are: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) of Land Development Minister James Masing has been pushed into third position with eight assemblypersons and six MPs, while SUPP is now left with two assemblypersons and one MP and SPDP with two MPs only.
Chong, the MP for Bandar Kuching and Kota Sentosa Assemblyperson added: “The acceptance of Teras will be a humiliation and a slap in the face for SUPP.
“The acceptance will also be a challenge to (Sarawak’s newly appointed Chief Minister) Adenan Satem’s authority and a test of his leadership after he made a number of statements regarding reconciliation with SPDP and SUPP.“But if the inevitable happens – the breakdown of reconciliation plan as suggested by Adenan - it will also be a slap in his face,” said Chong, pointing out that his integrity is also under question.
“To me, this will be the beginning of the crumbling down of BN,” he added.
Meanwhile, PRS Secretary General Wilfred Nissom has expressed surprise at the way Mawan abandoned SPDP, the party he himself formed about 12 years ago, switching to Teras.
“His move ‘s really a surprise to us and it is equally a surprise that he is joining the very people he sacked from SPDP.
“But Teras is not a member of BN and by logic of the argument, all members of Teras are not BN,” Nissom stressed in a statement.
Reacting to Lagong’s move, PRS Deputy President Joseph Entulu Belaun said that a diner could move to another table, but he could not bring along the chair with him.
“PRS is not bothered by Lagong’s frogging to any party because Pelagus will remain allocated to PRS come the state election,” said Entulu, who is a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Meanwhile, SUPP would strongly oppose a Teras application to join the BN or as component of the BN-plus formula.
In a statement issued last night SUPP Secretary General Prof Sim Kui Hian said that there would be no chance of Teras being accepted into BN if unanimity is lacking among the ruling coalition partners.
“This is because the fundamental principle and agreement as provided for in the Barisan Nasional constitution is that any decision on an application for admission to be a component party of Barisan Nasional shall be unanimous,” he said.
Sim also stressed that all the four elected representatives who had decided to join Teras could not take with them the four seats allocated to SUPP in the last state election.
He said that SUPP vied for 19 state seats in 2011 and seven parliamentary seats in the 2013 parliamentary polls.
“These seats have been allocated to our party. This not negotiable,” Sim added.
Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Chief Minister Adenan Satem was willing to accept Teras into the State Barisan Nasional.
He said this after receiving a courtesy call from Teras elected representatives led by Mawan.
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