Teras leaders welcome to return to SPDP as ordinary members: Tiong

From left, seated: SPDP secretary general Anthony Nogeh, deputy president Datuk Nelson Balang Rining and Tiong. -Photo by Conny Banji

SIBU:  Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) is opening its doors to Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) leaders including Teras president Tan Sri William Mawan.

SPDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing however pointed out that if Mawan were to re-join SPDP, he would have to return as an ordinary member.

“He cannot come back as supreme council member.

“(As for the position of) president, he has to go through election of the party.  Not for me to decide but the delegates to decide,” Tiong told a press conference after chairing a supreme council meeting at a hotel here on Sunday evening (Apr 17).

Tiong said it would be the same case for both BN direct candidates for Bekenu, Rosey Yunus and Batu Danau, Paulus Palu.

“Actually, for Rosey and Paulus, from day one, we agreed to take them back but towards the end, chief minister (Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem) said let them alone to be BN direct.  We respect chief minister’s decision,” said Tiong.

Tiong added that after state election on May 7, there will be no Teras and UPP (United People’s Party).

“They (direct candidates from Teras and UPP) must go back to join BN component parties. If people (these candidates) don’t want to join, they can remain as BN independent,” Tiong said, added that such arrangement was confirmed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in a meeting attended by both Adenan and Tiong earlier on Sunday in Sibu.

Traditionally, SPDP is allocated eight seats including Pakan, Krian, Ba Kelalan, Meluan, Tasik Biru, Marudi, Bekenu and Batu Danau by BN.  Due to party contention, part of its leadership left to form Teras.

As of Sunday night, state BN chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem had announced direct candidacy for three constituencies – Bekenu, Batu Danau and Pakan where Mawan who used to be SPDP president before the fallout would stand as BN direct candidate.

He declared that the party would neither field proxy candidates in constituencies which have been allocated to direct candidates nor leave BN as rumoured.

“We would like to confirm that we will not plant any independent or support independents in any way,” said Tiong.

“Whoever (party members ) going to stand as independent, if they did not resign from the party, we will expel them,”

He reiterated SPDP’s party stance that it would not leave BN even despite the party’s seats being allocated to direct candidates of its splinter party Teras.

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