PETALING JAYA: A Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) leader has hit out at his Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) colleague for laying claim to the Bawang Assan seat held by Wong Soon Koh, who joined PDP last month.
This comes after Bawang Assan Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) chief Romeo Christopher Tegong said they would work with fellow GPS component Sarawak United People’s Party (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.
Raymond said decisions pertaining to seat allocations could not be made unilaterally and had to be based on discussions among GPS components.
He added that Romeo’s decision to claim the seat was “unforgivable” considering that Wong, the incumbent Bawang Assan assemblyman, is now a PDP man following the dissolution of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).
Wong has been the Bawang Assan assemblyman since 1991, representing the constituency under various banners.
In the 2021 Sarawak election, Wong defended the seat on a PSB ticket, defeating his closest contender, SUPP’s Robert Lau, by a slim majority of 913 votes.
“Let me remind Romeo that PDP has always toed the GPS line on distribution of seats.
“We respect the decisions of the GPS leadership under Abang Johari when it comes to selection of candidates among the component parties,” Raymond said in a Facebook post.
He said PDP had in the past made way for its allies to contest several seats out of respect, which was why it was disappointing to see Romeo throw his support behind SUPP.
PSB was dissolved last month with Wong and other members joining the Tiong King Sing-led PDP, a move that analysts predicted would ruffle some feathers within GPS.
At a press conference yesterday, Romeo said Bawang Assan PBB decided to support SUPP to contest the Bawang Assan seat “as advised by the premier of Sarawak and PBB president”, Abang Johari. - FMT
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