QUICK TAKE: Did Dr Stephen Rundi really say BN candidates in Chinese seats will either be from Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) or United People’s Party (UPP)?
If he did, when did the BN approve the admission of UPP into the big BN family?
The Borneo Post seems to say he did in its Dec 1 report with the headline, BN candidates for Chinese seats can be from SUPP, UPP – Dr Rundi.
On the second paragraph of the same report, it wrote:
The candidates should be winnable and can be from Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) or United People’s Party (UPP) and would contest under the BN ticket, stressed state BN secretary-general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi.
If Rundi did say as reported, strangely the rest of the report does not seem to gel with the headline and the above quote.
Take these lines for instance:
Dr Rundi, who is also PBB secretary general, said the chief minister was still looking into the situation and had not made a decision.
“It would be premature for me to comment. Discussion will only commence when the 11 new seats are gazetted and presently, we have not reached that stage yet.”
On the impasse between SUPP and UPP, the Kemena state assemblyman said state BN would cross the bridge when it comes to it.
So what is the situation now in respect of UPP? Has it been decided UPP’s candidates will be contesting under BN ticket?
Or did The Borneo Post put words into Rundi’s mouth?
If it did, it is not only bad reporting but a disrespect to Rundi and a mockery to the whole of BN.
BN has its own rule to follow and the BN secretary general surely knows the BN ticket is only given to BN candidates, therefore, for as long as UPP remains outside BN as is the case now, there is no way that its candidates will get to stand under the ‘dacing’ symbol.
The way things are now, the chances of UPP and Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) being admitted into the BN are slim.
While the state BN backbone party, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), takes a middle stand – it has to be seen to take the middle stand because it is the party of the chief minister – it is common knowledge that Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) is adamant about wanting to see a status quo in seat allocation among fellow BN colleagues.
Speaking at the closing of the 1Singai Tondong Festival on Sunday night, PRS president Dr James Masing declared: “Nobody from outside can come in without 100 per cent support from all the component parties. We are strong because we keep to the rules until today.
“If you are outside of BN, we will fight you. There is no way to come to this place (Tasik Biru) if you are not a member of BN. This seat belongs to SPDP.”
What applies to Tasik Biru, applies to all seats being eyed by UPP and Teras.
It means Wong Soon Koh and all his “winnable” candidates including Liu Thian Leong, who wants to stand in Batu Kawah, better be ready for the big battle against the might of BN.-The Ant Daily
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