By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 31: The Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Youth has cautioned against any moves that could undermine coalition discipline within Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), following reports that former Lubok Antu MP Jugah Muyang is interested in contesting the Engkilili seat under another GPS component party.
PDP Youth Deputy Chairman Conrad Inti said while individuals are free to pursue political ambitions, all GPS component parties must continue to respect existing seat allocations and uphold mutual trust within the coalition.
He stressed that Engkilili is currently represented by PDP (Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa), and any move involving the seat should reflect the spirit of coalition discipline.
“Engkilili is currently represented by PDP. Respecting existing GPS-held constituencies is not merely a matter of political courtesy, but a reflection of mutual trust and cooperation among coalition partners,” he said in a statement today.
Conrad questioned the rationale behind bringing in a former MP to contest in a seat already held by a GPS component, saying such a move does not expand the coalition’s footprint but risks creating unnecessary internal overlap.
“What exactly is being achieved? How does this strengthen GPS? What message does it send when a component party appears willing to recruit a political figure who has moved across several political parties and entertain ambitions involving a seat currently represented by its own coalition partner?” he asked.
He said GPS has long positioned itself as a coalition built on stability, loyalty and collective responsibility, and warned that public perception of internal competition could undermine that image.
“If GPS spirit is constantly being invoked, then coalition discipline, mutual respect and trust must also be upheld. Otherwise, the perception created is not one of strengthening GPS, but of encouraging competition over constituencies already within the coalition,” he said.
Conrad added that politics should not be reduced to competition for candidacies, but must instead be judged by service delivery and outcomes for the people.
“The people of Engkilili are not asking who wants to be a candidate. They want leaders who can deliver development, solve problems and improve their quality of life,” he said.
He said all discussions on seat allocations and candidacies should be handled through proper GPS channels rather than public speculation, reaffirming PDP’s continued commitment to serve the constituency.
On May 27, Jugah uploaded a photo of him with Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian who is the president of Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) and Puncak Borneo MP Datuk Willie Mongin who is the member of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), on his Facebook account.
He then told an English news daily that during the courtesy visit, he has offered himself as a potential candidate for GPS to contest the Engkilili seat in the upcoming Sarawak election.
However, he also said the meeting was only to discuss “intentions” and that no concrete decision was made.
In another development, PDP National Youth Movement secretary Eric Fung dismissed allegations linking PDP Youth to opposition parties, saying the claims were a distraction from the issue of political performance.
He was responding to remarks by SUPP Dudong Branch organising vice secretary Dexter Kiew, who accused PDP Youth of “defending DAP”.
Eric clarified that his comments were not directed at the Democratic Action Party, but focused on the argument that long-term presence in a constituency should not automatically be equated with effective service delivery.
“Longevity alone is not an achievement. Being around for a long time does not necessarily mean progress has been delivered,” he said, adding that the discussion had been unnecessarily shifted into a party-versus-party narrative instead of addressing the core issue of performance.
The debate stemmed from remarks by SUPP Dudong chairman Wong Ching Yong during a recent pre-Gawai gathering, where he stressed that elected representatives should maintain a strong physical presence in their constituencies rather than rely solely on officers.
Eric countered that visibility on the ground, while important, should not be used as the sole measure of an elected representative’s effectiveness, as performance must ultimately be judged based on tangible outcomes delivered to the people.
He also rejected claims that his remarks amounted to political alignment with any party, stressing that raising questions on performance should not be reframed as taking sides.
Following Dexter Kiew’s remarks, Eric said attempts to portray PDP Youth as acting in defence of DAP were misleading, reiterating that his comments were centred on accountability and results rather than political affiliation. — DayakDaily
