COMMENT: The possibility of PBB contesting in the state seat of Krian which is held by PKR is very real if the bickering between SPDP and its splinter group Teras is not resolved soon.
If enmity between the two parties continues in Krian, it will certainly undermine the Barisan Nasional’s of wresting the seat back.
SPDP, which traditionally is allocated the seat, has identified lawyer Kilat Briak as its candidate. Teras on the other hand has named a couple of persons, including Kilat’s brother Banyi Briak, as a potential candidate.
Teras, which is the offshoot of SPDP, claims itself to be “BN friendly”.
What makes Krian a controversial seat is that both SPDP and Teras are laying claims on the seat and the political situation in the constituency is further worsened by the open quarrel between Kilat and Banyi.
According to a political analyst, the BN’s chances of winning back the seat either through SPDP and Teras are very remote.
But state BN chairman Adenan Satem, who is going to the polls for the first time as chief minister, is determined to win back the seat at all costs.
Since he cannot depend on SPDP and Teras to produce a “winnable” candidate, Adenan may have to rely on PBB to produce a candidate who should not only be a “winnable” candidate, but one that can neutralise the strength of the ever-growing influence of PKR.
Under the BN agreement and understanding, if a member party loses the seat twice, another member party should be given a chance to win back the seat.
SPDP through its deputy president Peter Nyarok lost the seat in 2011 by a majority of 2,090 votes.
In the 2013 parliamentary elections, SPDP candidate William Mawan Ikom, then its president, performed badly in his own state seat Krian, securing only 3,458 votes against Ali Biju’s 5,858 votes.
Had it not been for the votes from the Malay-majority state constituency of Kalaka, Mawan would have lost the parliamentary seat of Saratok.
Now Mawan is the president of the newly-formed Teras following a major leadership crisis in SPDP. Although he is a senior minister in the current cabinet, his party is not in BN. Thus, Teras cannot claim Krian, argued PBB.
Logically, therefore, the opportunity to contest the Krian seat should go to PBB which has been gaining ground on the constituency lately.
It has established eight main branches, three women’s branches and three youth branches.
Up to last month, the division has recruited 4400 members in the constituency.
Moreover, all the nearby state constituencies such as Kalaka, Saribas, Layar, Bukit Saban and Kabong (new seat) are under its control.
“The dispute between SPDP and Teras may offer us a window of opportunity to contest the Krian seat,” said Bernard Agan, a Saratok PBB leader.
He and his son, businessman Bell, have never missed returning to Saratok during weekends to gauge the feelings of the Krian voters.
According to Agan’s prediction, PBB with more than 4,400 members (about half of 9,000 Krian voters), should be able to win the seat for BN.
Bell is topping the list of potential PBB candidates for the seat.
BN’s main campaign thrust in the coming election is on the lack of development implemented in Krian since it fell to the Opposition in 2011.
Ironically, it was the same reason (lack of development and broken promises by the BN rep) that saw the victory of PKR’s Ali Biju.
Ali was regarded as Krian’s “ayam sabong” (fighting cock).
“Our ‘ayam sabong’ won, but we lost the ‘tuie’ (bets),” said Agan in obvious reference to the loss of development in the constituency as it is in the hands of the opposition.
He claimed that since the Opposition won the seat, Krian had not seen much development.
Agan asked the Krian voters whether they wanted to see another five years of non-development in their constituency.
“This time they must choose a ‘ayam sabong’ from BN,” he added, meaning PBB.
Meanwhile, Ali said that since the last five years, Krian has seen some RM200 million worth of projects implemented in his constituency.
The projects included agriculture, roads, telecommunications, water and electricity.
“Who says that there is no development in Krian?” he said.
“The only thing I don’t have the funds for minor rural projects that are worth RM 300,000 to RM400, 000.
“But I spent more than that out of my own pocket,” he added.-The Ant Daily
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