KUCHING, Oct 26: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) youth says its Mambong branch is determined and ready to represent Gabungan Parti Sarawak to contest in the constituency in the upcoming 12th Sarawak state election.
SUPP deputy youth chief Andrew Victor Nub expressed strong support for party president Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian’s stance that Mambong seat belongs to the party.
According to Andrew, anyone who stood for election representing a particular party had the freedom to join another party at later time, but he or she could not bring along the seat.
“Obviously, anyone can leave, but the seat belongs to the original party,” said Andrew in support of the remark made by Dr Sim in response to the decision of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) to accept Mambong assemblyman Datuk Dr Jerip Susil into the party.
Andrew also noted that Dr. Jerip, who is the Transport Assistant Minister is free to join any GPS component party following his resignation from Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).
With that right, Dr Jerip chose to join PBB and was accepted.
Andrew said it was a welcome move as the seat has gone back to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) formally, and this move would allow GPS to serve Mambong constituency well.
“Even though he is now with PBB, I am sure the decision by PBB leadership is to allow the people in Mambong to have access to the development funds from GPS, as only GPS assemblyman and parliamentary members will be able to disburse funds from the state government for the development of their constituency.”
Andrew, who is also SUPP Mambong Youth Chief, however, pointed out that in the coming state election, SUPP will definitely be given the mandate to represent GPS in Mambong as the seat belongs to the party traditionally ever since it existed.
He said GPS is a coalition of four component parties on equal footing and there has been consensus on seat allocation for this coming PRN which he believed would “definitely be a fair distribution”.
“SUPP has been working together with the ‘rakyat’ and other GPS component party in Mambong since the very first state election when the constituency was established in 1970 state election, addressed as ‘Bengoh’ at that time. And since then, we have never stop going around the constituency,” said Andrew.
Mambong seat has become an issue after Dr Jerip was taken in by PBB recently. Dr Jerip was initially a member of SUPP and had been representing SUPP at Mambong, formerly known as Bengoh.
When former Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh split away to form United People’s Party (UPP) which later changed its name to Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), Dr Jerip went with Wong.
However, Dr Jerip left PSB and applied to join PBB two months ago. His application was accepted recently.
The contention now is, who is to stand in Mambong in upcoming Sarawak Election for GPS? Is it Dr Jerip who is now with PBB or SUPP’s recommended candidate as the seat has been traditionally allocated to SUPP? — DayakDaily
