ELECTION TALK: The groundswell in Serembu appears to run counter to the preference of some leaders of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), and this could very well mislead Chief Minister Adenan Satem into making a decision that could cost BN the seat.
Bidayuh leaders in PBB tasked with looking for that winnable candidate must be gracious about the chances of their favourite nominee, Miro Simuh, and not be afraid to place him side by side with another contender, to be judged.
Yes, there is one other serious contender besides Miro – businessman Anthony Abang, a member of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), which has yet to be given its share of the 11 new state seats.
It would be naïve to think that SPDP is not interested in Serembu; in fact, the groundswell is far more in favour of the party than its senior BN colleague PBB which has been struggling right from the beginning to try to convince the state BN chief Adenan that it has the candidate.
When Adenan announced sometime back PBB’s pick of five seats from the 11, Serembu was not among the five. This in itself can only mean that Adenan did not see the potential of the party’s candidate material. PBB Serembu and Miro have failed to convince Adenan.
Surprisingly, Miro is all PBB Serembu and those Bidayuh leaders tasked with looking for that winnable candidate, can offer Adenan right up to this moment – Miro, the man who failed to impress Adenan in the first instance.
Meanwhile, SPDP, which had refrained from proclaiming its interest in Serembu out of respect for it senior BN colleague, and also because it had its hands full having to deal with contentious seats wanted by rival Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) , finally decided it must stake its claim.
In any case, PBB can’t be taking more than the five they already declared as theirs. It can’t be telling Adenan that if Miro is not good for PBB he is damn good if he is fielded as BN direct candidate!
Who will buy that? Surely not Adenan.
As far as SPDP is concerned – in fact, it is also the view of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) that – PBB’s Miro is a case of tiada rotan akar pun berguna (in the absence of the rotan, any creeper will do).
It is also the view of many BN warlords in Serembu, which is why they are now camping with Abang, to tell the BN leadership that it has a better option.
Yes, Adenan has a better option in Abang, a man known for his generosity among the Serembu and Krokong communities.
His success in business has trickled down to the churches, PTAs and needy folk.
An association of the Serembu community that’s headed by Peter Nyumek, a retired senior police officer with strong influence in the new seat, is easily Abang’s biggest beneficiary. It is for this reason that Abang’s bid for Serembu has the unequivocal support of Nyumek.
Today, words travel far and fast that besides Nyumek, Abang’s candidacy has the blessing of personalities like Mambong assemblyman Dr Jerip Susil, former PBB information chief Peter Minos, lawyer Wejok Tomik and scores of community leaders within the Serembu seat.
What does that say about Abang? Or rather, what does that say about Miro?
If those pro-Miro PBB leaders continue with trying to convince Adenan that the state BN chairman has no other choice but Miro, than it will be their word against that of the Serembu grassroots.
If the seat must be given to PBB, albeit via Miro as direct candidate, Adenan can always play deaf and dumb to the voice from the ground.
But if a win is what he wants, Serembu is not about PBB but about the people and what they want.
And between Miro and Abang, it is Abang they want.-The Ant Daily
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