By Nancy Nais
SERIAN, Aug 19: PBB senior vice-president Datuk Seri Michael Manyin Jawong today revealed that they are identifying potential opponents for the upcoming Sarawak state election.
Commenting on the eight Bidayuh majority seats, Manyin said one of their strategies before going for an election is to know their opponents.
“We need to know this because without knowing who our opponents are, we won’t know what do to. That is why we are still in the process of identifying these people,” he told reporters after handing over livestock and agricultural input for farmers in Tebedu constituency at Kampung Pichin, some 12km from here.
According to goodreads.com, Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu wrote in his treatise “The Art of War”: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
Meanwhile, Manyin, who is also the Tebedu assemblyman, said out of the eight Bidayuh-majority seats, Opar is the only one not aligned with the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government.
Opar is currently held by Datuk Ranum Mina of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB). Ranum is a five-term Opar assemblyman since 2001 after winning on a Barisan Nasional (BN) ticket.
The other seats with a Bidayuh majority are Mambong which is currently represented by Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, Tarat (Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn), Bukit Semuja (John Illus), Kedup (Martin Ben), Seremebu (Miro Simuh), Tasik Biru (Datuk Henry Jinep) and Manyin.
When asked if potential candidates have been identified to contest for Opar, Manyin said they are still working on it.
“We are working very hard to identify a suitable candidate. At the moment, we have two to three names, but it is not finalised because we can only recommend the names to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“Only Abang Johari has the prerogative to appoint and name the candidate,” the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) senior leader said.
As for Mambong, Manyin said, they will leave the matter of who will contest to Abang Johari to decide as well, as its current incumbent Datuk Dr Jerip Susil has joined PBB after leaving PSB.
PSB was formerly known as United People’s Party (UPP), which broke away from Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP).
“SUPP is one of the GPS component parties and they have openly made their claims in taking back Opar and Mambong because these two seats were traditionally theirs (to contest).
“In the case of Mambong, the incumbent is now officially with PBB, so we will leave that to Abang Johari to decide,” Manyin said.
To the question if he will soldier on and contest in the upcoming election, Manyin said it does not matter.
“Whether I stand or not, it is up to Abang Johari. My goal is to work hard, make sure we can deliver and win all the eight Bidayuh seats for GPS,” he added. — DayakDaily
