PRS warns BN leaders against ‘sabotaging’ Julau
The re-entry of ‘enemy’ Sng Chee Hua into Sarawak politics has opened an old wound among veteran members of Parti Rakyat Sarawak.
(Free Malaysia Today) – KUCHING: Of late the Julau constituency in Sarawak is causing a lot of worries to Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), primarily because an old enemy is making an insidious comeback.
The MP for Julau parliamentary constituency is Joseph Salang Gandum. Salang won the seat in 1999 and is tipped to defend it again in the 13th general election. Salang is PRS vice-president and Information, Communication and Heritage Deputy Minister.
But a campaign within the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition to topple him appears to be in progress.
The PRS supreme council was yesterday briefed on these “prejudicial activities” which are allegedly being carried out by certain BN leaders to undermine Salang’s position.
Said PRS deputy president Joseph Entulu: “The activities of these leaders pose a serious threat to Salang and the party.
“From the ground reports that we have received, such activities are very unhealthy and none of the component parties in BN should do such backstabbing.”
Entulu, who is also the MP for Selangau and Regional and Rural Development Deputy Minister, urged the BN leadership to take note of their concern.
He said the meeting discussed the issue after party president James Masing warned that Julau might fall to the opposition because some BN leaders were giving covert support to a “certain party” planning to contest in the constituency.
“Julau could fall to the opposition if the BN component parties did not stop supporting the independent candidate in the coming general election,” Masing was quoted as saying.
Julau is one of six parliamentary seats allocated to PRS.
Insider help
Masing said he knew the group behind the campaign to unseat Salang but could not do anything about it.
“We have a serious threat in Julau from people within BN who want to go against Salang. We know it and we have reported it to the top BN leaders.
“It is not smart politics; it’s dirty politics,” Masing said.
While he did not name any individual or party, it is reliably learnt that he was referring to Wong Judat, who is Meluan assemblyman and his supporters from Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).
It is not clear whether SPDP president William Mawan is also involved, although it is common knowledge that Mawan and Masing are not on friendly terms.
However, about 200 supporters of Judat and SPDP members were recently entertained to a dinner in Sarikei by former MP for Julau Sng Chee Hua, who is said to be returning to Julau to contest against Salang.
Although Judat was absent at the dinner, it is alleged that Judat has thrown his support behind Sng to contest against Salang, who they consider as their common “enemy”.
Judat was said to be angry over a RM3 million road project which was withdrawn by Salang and transferred instead to another area.
Salang believed that since the plan for the project was not ready, the money would have been returned to the Finance Ministry.
But instead of returning the money to the ministry, Salang suggested it be diverted to another road project.
Salang’s arch rival
Judat refused to accept the explanation. He wanted Salang out of Julau as he is an “outsider”. Salang’s longhouse is in Bintangor, but his grandparents came from Julau.
As for Sng, Salang was his arch rival since the days of the defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) as both had eyed the deputy presidency of the party in the 2003 party election. Sng, however, was defeated.
Moreover, Sng, who won the Julau seat in 1995, was not nominated to defend the seat in the 1999 general election even though he won it with a majority of more than 10,000 votes. His place was taken by Salang.
Sng, who was the “big towkay” in PBDS, allegedly used money to buy votes.
In the coming election, Sng, if he is contesting, is expected to buy the votes of some 7,000 voters out of the 20,761-strong electorate (according to the 2011 electoral rolls).
Voting percentage in this Iban-majority constituency is around 70%.
According to sources, Sng has allegedly promised between RM500 and o RM1,000 per voter, and RM2,000 for each tuai rumah (longhouse chief).
“He needs about RM4 million to RM5 million to topple Salang,” said the sources.
In the 2004 general election, Sng financed Josephine Mawat to contest against Salang who stood on PBDS-BN ticket.
PBDS at that time was a component party of BN at the federal level, but an opposition at the state BN.
