SARAWAK FOCUS: The Krian state seat now held by PKR’s Ali Biju should be interesting to watch in the coming state election if Chief Minister and State BN chairman Adenan Satem is unable to resolve the dispute over seat allocation between Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras).
It could then mean a “free-for-all” among two parties in BN namely Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) and SPDP as well as Teras, which claims itself to be “BN-friendly”.
Even though the seat is traditionally allocated to SPDP, PBB and Teras consider SPDP not only to have lost the “right” to contest the Krian seat after it fell to the opposition with a wide margin in the last state election, but also consider SPDP to have been weakened further by the “mass” resignations of its members.
For Saratok PBB leaders, they think that PBB has a better chance of winning the seat from the opposition. Since the last election, its grassroots have been working hard to recruit members in order to strengthen the party.
By now the Saratok PBB branch claims it had recruited at least 5,000 members in Krian alone.
In fact PBB has already two names who are ready to contest the seat. They are Bell Agan, a businessman who has been working very hard in the constituency, and Dr Spencer Empading, a lecturer.
It has always been PBB’s plan to control Krian; after all its neighbouring constituencies, Kalaka, Bukit Saban and Layar are already in the hands of PBB. After Sarawak National Party joined the Barisan Nasional in 1976, PBB could not execute its plan due to the BN understanding and agreement.
Krian was allocated to SNAP and later to SPDP when SNAP was deregistered.
If there is a “free-for-all” contest in the coming election, the opportunity offers PBB to contest the seat.
In the meantime, Teras has a message to Adenan that it has a better candidate to beat the opposition.
His message is that the majority of longhouse chiefs who represent more than 140 longhouses in Krian are with Teras. Almost weekly, Teras arranges visits of community leaders from Krian to come down to Kuching to meet Teras president and Social Development Minister William Mawan to discuss their “problems”.
Several delegations of community leaders had met Mawan, who at the same time submitted their applications to join Teras.
The latest delegation of 30 community leaders met Mawan on Nov 21. They brought with them 1,150 applications to join Teras.
By now, Teras has received more than 2,500 applications from Krian alone.
As MP for Saratok and a state minister, Mawan is pretty adept at using his positions to influence community leaders and voters in Krian.
Those community leaders wanting funds for their village security and development committees and those wishing to be appointed as community leaders will come to Kuching in droves to see him asking for financial allocations and seeking to be appointed as community leaders.
Based on the number of community leaders joining Teras, Mawan’s message is that Teras is getting stronger by the day, and it alone can win back the seat for BN.
Currently, it has identified Banyi Briak, an agriculture officer, as a potential candidate.
But will SPDP give up the Krian seat to Teras even if Adenan allows Teras to contest it?
From what we have heard all this while, SPDP president Tiong King Sing will not surrender any of the eight seats allocated to the party, not even to PBB.
He is preparing SPDP to fight any party which wants to contest in Krian and seven other seats that have been traditionally allocated to SPDP, and this includes PBB.
Wining it or losing is immaterial as long as SPDP is not being bullied, the firebrand Tiong had declared.
SPDP has asked lawyer Kilat Briak and Basil Anak Thomas to go to the ground to find out which of the two is more popular.
Meanwhile, in an interview recently, incumbent assemblyman Ali Biju said that he does not know yet who will be his opponent.
“If Adenan allows a ‘free-for-all’ contest, it appears that PBB, SPDP and Teras will contest not only against me, but they also fight each other.
“Let the best man win,” said Ali.-The Ant Daily
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