SPDP 5 Come Back

KUCHING: Members of the so-called G5 are as good as already back in the fold of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), albeit without, former Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe.Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem said the party’s Supreme Council members who met him at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia yesterday had unanimously agreed to reinstate Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Peter Nansian, Datuk Sylvester Entri (Marudi), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau).

“I am very happy to announce that SPDP Supreme Council members have unanimously agreed to reinstate the four former party elected representatives with immediate effect.“This must be very positive and good news for the BN as a whole,” he said, adding that the decision to reinstate the four elected representatives was actually decided during a meeting of the party’s Supreme Council about a week ago.

At this juncture, the party president Tan Sri William Mawan, who was also present at the news conference, chipped in to explain that their audience with the chief minister was only to formally inform the latter of the party’s decision.“It is more or less a replay of our Supreme Council meeting held sometimes last week and after the official announcement today we will officially write to them that they are being reinstated. I have instructed our secretary-general (Datuk Nelson Balang Rining) to write and send letters to them,” Mawan said.

Adenan, only a week as the chief minister after his predecessor Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud stepped down to become the Head of State, said with the reinstatement the four elected representatives were now members of SPDP.“For the time being they are just ordinary members of the party and if they want to hold any post they can always offer themselves for contest in the party’s coming triennial general assembly (TGA),” he said.

Asked whether the four assembly persons will be retained to defend their respective seats in the next state elections due on June 20, 2016, Adenan said BN’s policy was to field winnable candidates.“We will cross the bridge when we come to it,” he said.

On the position of Dr Tiki, Minister of Social Development Mawan said he could not be reinstated together with the other members of the G5 as he had contested against BN as an independent candidate in the last general elections.“Dr Tiki is not included in the reinstatement but he can still apply to rejoin the party if he like to, separately,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu and Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg were also present at the press conference yesterday.