By Peter Sibon
SERIAN, May 27: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) senior-vice president Datuk Seri Michael Manyin Jawong indicated today that all the current Bidayuh assemblymen under GPS will be defending their seats in the coming state elections.
However, the GPS candidate for the Opar seat will be up to SUPP, Manyin added.
SUPP, part of the GPS ruling government, was traditionally allocated the Opar seat before Opar assemblyman Ranum Mina joined Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh to form United People’s Party, which has now been rebranded as Parti Sarawak Bersatu.
Manyin was talking to media after accompanying Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi to checking on controlled goods prices at the Serian Wet Market here today.
He stressed that the other five current PBB assemblymen (excluding himself) were fairly young and that they should not have problem to continue serving their respective constituents.
Expressing confidence in their win, he said that they had met twice before the Covid-19 pandemic and tried to identify future candidates.
“So, give us three or four months, we will resolve the problems. But as far as I’m concerned there is no problem for the candidates and to win, said Manyin.
The veteran politician who has been Tebedu assemblyman since 1996, reiterated that in every election, many aspirant politicians will come forward to lobby for every seat.
“Of course, whenever the is an election fever, everybody want to be a candidate. But at the end of the day, the people will come to their senses. They will settle down and will read who are the (best) candidates (for the party),” he said.
Besides Manyin, the five other PBB elected representatives from the Bidayuh community are Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn (Tarat), Datuk Dr Jerip Susil (Mambong), Miro Simuh (Serembu), Martin Ben (Kedup) and John Ilus (Bukit Semuja).
Meanwhile, Datuk Henry Jinep, Tasik Biru assemblyman, is from Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
When contacted, Ranum said he will stick with the opposition party, PSB.
“I will stay put and I won’t jump (back to GPS). It’s a matter of principle,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nanta, who is also both PBB and GPS secretary-general said, that the state coalition was every ready to face the state election as many predicted that it will be held soon.
“I can assure to that we have been preparing as soon as we registered GPS. We know that elections will be carried out when the time comes, whether it is the state election or federal parliamentary election.
“From what I know, all the components of GPS have been preparing in their own ways. As a coalition, our leaders have been strategizing, and we as member parties as well as GPS are preparing,” he said.
When asked how soon the 12th state election could be, Nanta, who is also Kapit MP said the timing will be decided by the chief minister.
“But we all know that by the rule of law it has to be held in the next one year,” he added.
On GPS’ candidacy, he said, it has not been finalized but stressed that the final decision lies with the chief minister and other top leaders.—DayakDaily
