KUCHING, Aug 28: The onus is on Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to deliver, including taking Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) and other oppositions head-on, in the next state election.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth member Roy Gingkoi defended party Youth chief Datuk Snowdan Lawan’s recent comment that GPS would want to claim Engkilili in the next state election.
The remark however, received criticism from Engkilili assemblyman and PSB Youth chief Johnichal Rayong Ngipa, who viewed the statement as ‘sheer arrogance’, while stating that he would defend the seat in the next polls under PSB ticket.
“PSB is the opposition now. The public at large know that PSB is no longer attached to the state GPS government. So, it’s only right that GPS take them head-on,” Roy said in a statement.
“The fact is clear cut and does not require a single definition and clarification at all. Being a ruling party, the onus is on GPS to take Rayong head-on in Engkilili in the coming state election and to win it. That’s the mission.”
Roy, who is from Engkilili, opined that being in the opposition, Rayong and the Engkilili constituency have been handicapped without development fund from the state government.
“As such, he is not able to provide funding for projects from Minor Rural Project (MRP) or Rural Transformation Project (RTP). He is not entitled to that anymore. The people will lose out.
“The voters are also aware about this. They are turning to GPS for development funding because they know GPS is the government of the day and GPS can deliver,” he said.
Roy reminded that traditionally, Engkilili belonged to Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), which is one of the GPS component parties.
In the spirit of comradeship, it was only right for PRS to support its partners in GPS, he pointed out.
On Rayong’s stance in defending the Engkilili seat, Roy said: “We know him (Rayong) too well. We don’t need a clue from him on that. Now we are telling him that GPS will take him on. As for the verdict, the voters will decide.”
On Rayong’s claim that Snowdan was not respecting the wishes of the majority, he believed that it was Rayong himself who first betrayed the wishes of the people who voted for him.
“He was a member of SUPP before and then (he) changed camp, jumped ship to UPP (United People’s Party) and now in PSB as an opposition, leaving the voters to ponder in confusion,” he said.
Roy believed that voters would kick the present Engkilili incumbent out in the next state election. — DayakDaily
