Gabriel Adit and his new party

(Malaysian Mirror) – Ngemah state assemblyman Gabriel Adit, who has declared that he was “no longer supporting PKR” met a handful of his supporters at a restaurant here yesterday to discuss the possible pro tem line-up of his proposed party.

But it is reliably learnt that Adit has yet to finalise anything on his new political plan, including the party’s line-up. 

“Everything is hush-hush. Even the name of the party is not known,” an inside source revealed, admitting that he was also still in the dark.

“We were only told that we have some big guns behind the proposal to form the party,” he told the Malaysian Mirror on condition of anonymity.

Speculations have been rife over the past fortnight about the formation of a new party in Sarawak. Adit was the name mentioned to lead the party which will be known as Pakatan Rakyat Malaysia.

Personal problems

Understandably, PKR was unable to take Adit’s defection kindly after having given him a rousing welcome into the party just 11 months ago.

Soon, pro-PKR blogs started speculating that Adit was having financial problems and PKR was unable to help him out when he approached party leaders for assistance.

They also alleged that the five-term state rep was being made used of by some pro-BN tycoons in the state to split the opposition in view of the coming Sarawak elections which must be held in 2011.

Among the financiers mentioned behind the party were Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing (left) and a Kapit personality, Sng Chee Hua.

Tiong is currently the treasurer of SPDP while Sng has been partyless since his faction lost the PRS leadership tussle against Dr James Masing.

However, Sng’s son Larry is still a junior minister in the Sarawak Cabinet although he is also partyless. The elder Sng’s move could be seen as opening another door for his son to enter, if there is any reason at all for his involvement in the new party.

There were also talks that the new party has the blessings of Umno and that the party has, in fact been registered. However, the speculated date of Oct 15 for the announcement of its formation did not materialize.

“If Umno is indeed supporting Adit’s move, then the next state election will be very interesting, confusing and complicating for the State BN,” said Granda Aing, a PKR leader.

He asked: “In the next state election, where does Adit’s party come in especially if he is pro-BN? Will PRS or SPDP allow him and his new party to contest in Dayak-majority constituencies?

“That is unlikely. Maybe his party can contest in Dayak seats controlled by SUPP,” he quipped.

‘A burden to PKR’

Granda saw the end of Adit’s political career, adding that Adit’s immediate concern is to settle some of his personal problems which have bogged him down for a long time.

Wishing him good luck, Granda said: “We are happy that he has left us. It is a blessing for us, otherwise he would be a burden to PKR,” said Granda.

Commenting on Adit’s move, DAP Batu Lintang state rep Voon Lee Shan (right) said that it was Adit’s democratic right to form a party, even though voters would have preferred a two-party system.

“Another party will make it more difficult to topple the state government,” he said, adding that opposition politicians nowadays seem more interested to become party presidents.

“All are dreaming of the coveted chief minister’s post if the opposition forms the next government. They think that by becoming party president, they would have a stake to be CM.

“It seems that the CM’s post takes precedence over the wishes of the voters,” he lamented.

A PRS supreme council member, Joseph Allen said that if it is true that Umno is supporting Adit’s move to form a new party, then it seems that the Federal Government wants to split the Dayaks further and enhance the interests of certain groups.

“I hope the Dayaks will know which party to support,” he said.

“Hopefully, Adit’s party will have no impact on the Dayak community, because they know who Adit is.

“He is being used as a clown in the political arena,” said Allen.