By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Oct 10: Mas Gading incumbent Mordi Bimol revealed that he was offered up to RM5 million and a high position to switch parties.
The Democratic Action Party (DAP) politician said the first time he was persuaded to jump ship was in 2019, a little later after the Sheraton Move, and he was offered RM2 million.
“At that time, I was staying at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur to attend the parliamentary sitting. So they waited for me at the hotel lobby until three in the morning.
“Initially, I agreed to meet them not to accept their offer but because I was curious on the process of ‘buying politicians’. But when the time came, I was afraid, so I gave many excuses to avoid meeting them.
“When they stopped texting me, I thought they had given up. But when I reached the hotel, they greeted me at the lobby to discuss the matter,” he said during a live broadcast via his Facebook page today.
He elaborated that during the encounter, the other party told him he would be given RM100,000 on that same night if he agreed to switch parties. In addition, he would be paid another RM100,000 if he did not attend the Parliament sitting the next day, while the remaining money would be paid in full at the end of the Parliament session.
He further said he was asked to switch parties for the second time with an offer of RM5 million.
The third time, he was indirectly offered to join the other side of the bench; a ministerial position and as a party president.
“When I ask the opinion of my grassroots supporters, surprisingly, some of them were rooting for me to jump because I would have funds to continue to serve in Mas Gading.
“However, if I jump, I would not be at ease. This is because I would spoil the image of my father, my family, the Bidayuh (community), Mas Gading constituents, and my whole ancestry.
“So I reject (the offer),” he added.
In the meantime, Mordi thanked his supporters for giving him the chance to represent Mas Gading constituents.
He will most probably defend his seat again under the DAP ticket in the upcoming 15th General Election (GE15).
Mordi joined DAP in 2011, serving as special assistant to the DAP vice chairman and Sarawak State liaison committee chairman Chong Chieng Jen at the time.
In May 2013, he contested his first election in a four-cornered fight for the Mas Gading federal seat but lost.
In April 2016, he contested for the Tasik Biru State seat in the 11th Sarawak Election but was defeated by his opponent, Dato Henry Harry Jinep of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
In May 2018, Mordi won the Mas Gading seat after defeating incumbent Anthony Nogeh Gumbek of PDP.
Asked about bad experiences throughout his political career, Mordi said he had been spat on, had a bottle thrown at him, was chased by a perpetrator armed with a machete, and escorted out from a village and threatened to be reported to the police for trespassing in the village during his electoral campaign.
“However, the beauty of this journey is that some of them ended up becoming my friends,” he said. — DayakDaily
