PETALING JAYA: Sarawak United People’s Party president Dr Sim Kui Hian has called for a new leader to represent the Bawang Assan constituency, in a swipe at the current assemblyman Wong Soon Koh.
Sim, a Sarawak deputy premier, said the state constituency needed a new leader who could spur development in the area, which he described as being left behind in terms of infrastructure.
“The right person to lead Bawang Assan is councillor Kevin Lau. He is young, energetic, and is sorely needed to lead Bawang Assan in a better direction,” said Sim.
“Bawang Assan has been left so far behind and really needs a new leader who is truly loyal to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS),” said Sim, Utusan Borneo reported.
Lau, a member of the Sibu rural district council, is head of the SUPP Bawang Assan “community development team”.
Wong, a former state second finance minister, is currently a senior vice-president of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), which is a GPS component with SUPP.
He has been the Bawang Assan assemblyman since 1991, representing the constituency under various banners, and was formerly of SUPP.
He had led Parti Sarawak Bersatu members in joining PDP en bloc last month, which pundits predicted would cause strife particularly among GPS components.
This materialised very quickly as Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu’s Bawang Assan chief Romeo Christopher Tegong laid claim to Wong’s seat earlier this month, saying the division would work with SUPP in the next state election to wrest back the seat.
Romeo, a political secretary to Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg, claimed that the constituency “belonged to SUPP”.
However, Bawang Assan PDP Youth deputy chief Raymond Gema Tutus said Romeo’s statement was premature and unbecoming of a GPS component leader.
Two days ago, PBB vice-president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah urged GPS partners not to “rock the boat” over seat negotiations. - FMT
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