BEHIND SPDP AND PRS PROPOSED MERGER

Kuching
Thursday, 25th February 2010

James Masing and the Group of  Five 5 SPDP assemblymen  started Another Crisis In dayak Majority Parties!...Merger Will not happen Without William Mawan

Introduction

Dayak with it total population of about 1, 178,750 or 50% of Sarawak total population , is the biggest group in Sarawak.

Politically they are represented by all the parties in Sarawak, by the governing parties and as well as the opposition. In the governing parties , they are represented by the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) or Sarawak People Party, Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), Sarawak United People Party (SUPP) and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB). Whereas in the opposition they are represent by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Sarawak National party (SNAP) and the latest by Democratic Action Party (DAP).

What is Democracy and Why dayak Still marginalised

“Our constitution is named a democracy, because it is in the hands not of the few but of the many. But our laws secure equal justice for all in their private disputes and our public opinion welcomes and honours talent in every branch of achievement …on the ground of excellent alone…our citizen attend both to public and private duties and do not allow absorption in their various affairs to interfere with their knowledge of the city’s we decide or debate, carefully and in person of matters of policy holding…that acts are foredoomed to failure when undertaken discussed”...Pericles definition of democracy in Athens

Democracy is a form of government in which the policy is decided by the preference of the majority in a decision-making process, usually elections. Democracy as a form of government always has the following characteristics:

• There is a demos, a group which makes political decisions by some form of collective procedure. In modern democracies the demos is the nation, and citizenship is usually equivalent to membership.

• There is a territory where the decisions apply, and where the demos are resident. In modern democracies, the territory is the nation-state.

• There is a decision-making procedure, which is either direct (for instance a referendum) or indirect (for instance election of a parliament).

Based on the definition of the democracy above, the majority should rule. But why the dayak, despite being the majority they cannot rule? Dayak as I said earlier are representing by all of the political parties. Out of these so many political parties they are only majority in PRS and SPDP. This situation has caused their strength diluted.

SPDP Crisis and the Proposed Merger With PRS

The crisis in SPDP started on 22nd January 2010 when it President William Mawan Ikom replaced Sylvester Entri with Wilson Balang as SPDP secretary general. Mawan reasoned to replace Sylvester was to strengthen the party especially in the northern region of Sarawak.

But the group align to Sylvester Entri said that they walked out in protest over the appointment of Balang as the new secretary-general and Paul Igai, political secretary to the chief minister as his deputy. They believed that Sylvester Enteri was replaced as the secretary-general after he was alleged to have supported Philip Ngo in challenging the incumbent deputy president Peter Nyarok in the party elections last month.

On 21st February 2010, the group align to Sylvester Entri made a press statement that they will merge with PRS.

Conclusions

No matter what they called it, they were actually splitting from SPDP. The merger without the approval of both party Presidents will not going to happen. If merger between the two parties materialised, James Masing at this moment has an advantages over William Mawan as the new entity president. But will William Mawan accept the deputy president post. Judging from the dayak political history (take PBDS as an example) William Mawan would not accept James Masing as a President. So toward the end….Merger between SPDP and PRS will not going to happen and these 5 selfish representatives will be partiless.

This crisis will definitely weaken BN in the coming state election. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) must take this opportunity to wrest power from BN.

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Another Dayak Political Crisis in the Making in SPDP

KUCHING
Thursday, 18th February 2010

Rebellion in SPDP!

Since their open dispute with their party president, the five elected representatives from Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) seemed to have burnt their bridges with the party and the boss.

The local on-line portal, Malaysian Mirror can reveal today that the group of SPDP legislators, led by its former secretary-general and state Assistant Minister Sylvester Enteri, will be jumping ship. Their next stop – Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) led by state Land Development Minister Dr James Masing.

Others in the group are Tasik Biru state assemblyman and Assistant Minister for Environment Peter Nansian, Batu Danau state rep Paulus Gumbang, Bekenu state assemblywoman Rosey Yunus and Mas Gading MP Dr Tiki Lafe.

Another crisis in the dayak majority party in the making. First and second SNAP crisis in the 80s' and 90s', and the PBDS crisis, Dr James Wong and Datuk Sng were blamed. But the latest crisis in SPDP, no chinese politician was involved. And if we look back at all of the crisis in dayak parties, all of the reasons were about disloyalty to the leader and party. Are we dayak have lack of respect and loyalty to our party and leaders. But  based on Iban folklore stories/legends, such behaviour were not existed in our dictionary. The dayak must change our mindset if we want our voice to be heard and respected by the others, we must stop acting like a child.Please listen to our heart!...Bukittunggal.com

The three SPDP supreme council members aligned to the "Unhappy 5" are George Garai, Peter Gani and Eda Egar.

Last month they walked out from the SPDP supreme council meeting when president William Mawan announced the appointment of Nelson Balang Rining, the state rep for Ba'Kelalan, as secretary-general replacing Enteri.

Fallout with Mawan

Enteri and the other leaders who were also founding fathers of the seven-year old SPDP were deeply disappointed with the president's decision. They charged that Mawan did not honour his promise of maintaining status quo in the party's elections last December.

Although Mawan tried to pacify the group by appointing Enteri as a party vice-president, the olive branch came too late. They had already decided to burn their bridges.

A leader of the group who declined to be identified told the Malaysian Mirror that members of the group met yesterday afternoon. And their final decision was to join PRS. They would be submitting their resignation letters from SPDP to the party any time now.

He believed that more elected representatives from SPDP are expected to cross over to PRS for the "larger interest of Dayak unity."

Lost confidence

He said that the group will be meeting PRS president James Masing soon to submit their applications to join his party.

Asked to confirm the news, Enteri asked this reporter: "How do you know?".

However, he was quick to add that they were very disappointed with the way the party (SPDP) affairs had been handled by the president.

He said that they had lost confidence in the leadership of the party.

Their joining PRS which is expected to enlarge the growing support for the party that has now nine state assemblymen and six MPs is expected to be announced within the next 48 hours to coincide with the visit of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak from Feb 22-23 to Sarawak.

Keeping them within the BN

Political observers see the latest political development in Dayak politics as completing a whole circle – breaking from SNAP in the early 80s into Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak, SPDP and now in PRS.

Contacted by the Malaysian Mirror from Kuala Lumpur, James Masing said he had not met the SPDP dissidents so far nor discussed with them about joining PRS.

"What I know is that they do have some problems within their own party but I don't know how serious it is," he said.

Asked whether he would be happy to accept them into his party, Masing told MM: "Let's put it this way. It's better to keep them within the Barisan Nasional fold than to lose them to the opposition".

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William Mawan Asked to Resign as SPDP President

Kuching
Thursday, 28th January 2010

The crisis in the Sarawah Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) deepened with some members calling for William Mawan to resign as president of the party, but Mawan dismissed the demand.

“I will not bow down to personal feelings of some members,” he said, pointing out that he would not abandon the responsibility and the trust placed upon him by those who had elected him.

Explaining his stand

This is Mawan...I will not run away from my responsibility!..SPDP President answers the press

“I am elected unopposed as president and I have a duty to those who elected me. I will not run away from my responsibility. This is Mawan,” he said yesterday when asked by Malaysian Mirror to comment on demands by Peter Gani for him to resign to solve the present crisis.

“I appreciate the feelings of my friend Gani, but resignation is not an option for me. I will not bow down to pressure. I have a long-term strategy and the interest of members and the party to think about.

Gani, an SPDP founding member, had called on Mawan to resign, saying the members had lost confidence in his leadership.

Grassroots, not aides, decide fate

In Sibu, Tamin branch chairman Engkail Bunyau said branch members want the president to listen to the wishes of the grassroots rather than to just close aides. He described Mawan’s decision to replace Sylvester Enteri as secretary-general with Nelson Balang Rining as “untimely”.

Colourful Iban/Dayak politic. It is normal in any Iban/Dayak organization. The subordinates never respect the leadership of the party. Look what happened to SNAP, PBDS, PRS and the latest crisis is SPDP. All of the crisis started by direspectful  of the president by party members!...Bukittunggal.  

Batu Danau state assemblyman Paulus Gumbang, who was one of those who had walked out during the supreme council meeting in support of Enteri, said he was shocked that the top leadership was engaging in underhanded politics.

He said the leadership should set a good example as such politics would only divide the party and weaken its powerbase.

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Dissent grows louder

Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party Is Having Internal Crisis

KUCHING
Saturday, 23rd January 2010

Four state assemblymen, one Member of Parliament and three supreme council members of the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party walked out of the party’s supreme council meeting this afternoon when party president William Mawan named Nelson Balang Rining, the state assemblyman for Ba’Kelalan as the new secretary-general.

Elected vice-president in December's triennial delegates assembly, Balang replaces Sylvester Enteri, the state assemblyman for Marudi.

The four assemblymen who walked out were Sylvester Enteri, Peter Nansian, state assemblyman for Tasik Biru, Rosey Yunus, state assemblywoman for Bekenu and Paulus Gumbang, state assemblyman for Batu Danau.

The MP who joined the walkout was Dr Tiki Lafe of Mas Gading.

The three supreme council members were George Garai, Peter Gani and Ida Iga.

'Mawan did not keep his promise'

Garai said that they walked out in protest over the appointment of Balang as the new secretary-general and Paul Igai, political secretary to the chief minister as his deputy.

“The president promised status quo to the line-up before the party’s triennial delegates assembly, but now it appears that he has not kept his promise. He also failed to honour his promise to appoint an elected representative to be deputy secretary-general of the party,” charged Garai.

“We don’t agree with the president’s choice,” he said.

Speculation has been rife that Enteri would be replaced as the secretary-general after he was alleged to have supported Philip Ngo in challenging the incumbent deputy president Peter Nyarok in the party elections last month.

Ngo was soundly beaten in the contest.

The beginning of a split?

Although Paul Igai denied that the eight party leaders walked out in protest over Balang’s appointment as the new secretary-general, observers see the walkout as a signal of a major split in the seven-year old party.

Any split now, said a veteran politician, is sure to undermine SPDP’s chances in the coming state election. SPDP has eight seats, many of which were won on a borderline majority.

But Mawan, according to his aides, believes that Balang’s appointment is to thwart the growing influence of Baru Bian, PKR state chairman in the Ba’Kelalan constituency.

They said that the president has his own reasons in reorganizing the party, and one of them is to strengthen his own position.

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Result of SPDP Deputy President Fight

Kuching
29 December 2009

Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) deputy president Datuk Peter Nyarok managed to see off the challenge to his post comfortably by a majority of 135 votes in the party’s polls here today.

The long-serving Krian assemblyman garnered 201 votes to defeat his challenger Philip Ngo, 45, who only managed to secure 66 votes in the polls held in conjunction with the party’s Triennial General Assembly (TGA).

Peter Nyarok - Defeated Philip Ngo by 135 Votes

Nyarok, 67, who is also state assistant minister for modernisation of agriculture, has held the post since 2003. Ngo’s candidacy was a direct challenge to party president Datuk Seri William Mawan Ikom’s status quo plan to retain the existing leadership line-up.

Mawan, who is also state Social Development and Urbanisation Minister, was returned unopposed for the third consecutive term.

Other top leaders who won without fights were senior vice-presidents Datuk Peter Nansian (state Assistant Minister for Environment) and Datuk Jacob Sagan (International Trade and Industry deputy minister) and party treasurer-general Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

In the contest for the three vice-president posts, Deputy Home Minister Jelaing Mersat, Mas Gading Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe and Ba’Kelalan assemblyman Nelson Ballang were elected.

Lawyer Robert Ayu is the new Youth Chief while Chiew Yen Chew is the SPDP women’s wing chief.

The 14 supreme council members elected from among 35 candidates were Peter Howell Jilan, Sebastian Janting Takin, Datin Winnie Jolly Sagan, James Laju Ambok, Paul Igai, Chambai Lindong, Eda Igar, Narmal Singh, Ting Kew Ming, Liew Ah Lek, Tiong Yong Hing, George Garai Mundu, Ambrose Jarat and Peter Gani Kiai.

SPDP was set up in 2002 after the Registrar of Societies (ROS) revoked the registration of the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) for failing to resolve a leadership crisis.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak opened the TDC today.

Meanwhile, Mawan urged the new line-up in the Supreme Council to work hard to maintain party solidarity.

“I would like to congratulate those who won. However, winning isn’t everything. We have to work hard.

“For those candidates who lost they must accept defeat and they are still part of the party,” he told reporters after the results were announced today. — Bernama

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