SPDP paralysed, Mawan quits SPDP

By Simon Peter

KUCHING, May 15, 2014: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), which is embroiling in an internal crisis, has been paralysed with the resignation of its president William Mawan Ikom from the party.

His resignation took effect immediately.

Local Government and Community Development Minister Wong Soon Koh also left Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), with immediate effect.

Soon Koh, who is also having a leadership disagreement with SUPP president Peter Chin, joined Mawan in a new party - Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (TERAS) - as advisors.

 Picture: Mawan (seated, centre) with Soon Koh (right) and Nansian (left) at the press conference.

With Mawan from SPDP to join TERAS are assistant ministers Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru), Sylvester Entrie (Marudi) and Rosey Yunus (Bekenu), state legislator Paulus Gumbang (Batu Danau) and Baram MP Anyie Ngau.

SPDP vice president Zainudin Hamdan, information chief Churchil Edward and some supreme council members are also leaving the party to join TERAS.

Apart Soon Koh, the others who left SUPP are assistant minister Dr Jerip Susil (Bengoh) and state legislators Johnical Rayong (Engkilili) and Ranum Mina (Opar).

It is not known whether assistant ministers Lee Kim Shin (Senadin) and Francis Harden (Sri Aman) will leave SUPP to join Soon Koh in TERAS.

The two were Soon Koh's supporters, until recently.

They were not at the press conference held immediately after State Legislative Assembly had adjourned its sitting.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Workers' Party (SWP) deputy president George Lagong is also joining TERAS.

 Picture: Mawan (centre) announcing his resignation from SPDP with immediate effect. With him are Soon Koh and Nansian.

Lagong, the state legislator for Pelagus, was present at the press conference.

Mawan told reporters:" This (mass resignation of leaders from SPDP) is not a case of abandoning ship. There's a mutiny on board and we have been elbowed out.”

Mawan had been facing a revolt in SPDP led by deputy president  Tiong King Sing.

Mawan said Teras would soon apply to join the Barisan Nasional.

It is learnt that Tiong called Mawan this morning for a meeting in Kuala Lumpur to find solution to the internal strife in SPDP, but he turned it down.

It is learnt that Chief Minister Adenan Satem, who is also the State Barisan Nasional chairman, has given his blessing to Mawan and Soon Koh and other elected representatives to join TERAS, which was registered last year.

The positions of Mawan, Wong and other assistant ministers are not affected by their resignations from their respective parties.

It is learnt that TERAS will apply to a BN component party, but for now, it is a "BN Plus"- a position similar to that of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) in 1983.

PBDS was formed by Dayak leaders, including Leo Moggie and Daniel Tajem, after leaving National Party (SNAP) the same year.

The then Chief Minister Taib Mahmud retained Daniel Tajem in his Cabinet.

It is expected that Adenan will adopt the same formula to retain Mawan and Soon Koh in his Cabinet.

TERAS now has 11 elected representatives – four formerly from SUPP, six formerly from the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and former Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) deputy president George Lagong, who is Pelagus assemblyman.

Mawan's intention to join TERAS is expected after he was no longer respected by SPDP leaders, including Tiong.

In fact, he was publicly humiliated when SPDP Wanita passed a no-confidence vote against him for re-admitting former SPDP leaders - Nansian, Entrie, Paulus and Rosey - back into the party.

They accused him of sidelining the party's supreme council when re-admitted the four who were sacked in 2011 for  breaching party constitution.

At a press conference a few days ago, he said he was willing to subscribe to any political solution, including joining TERAS, as long as it could end the protracted crises plaguing both SPDP and SUPP while strengthening the state Barisan Nasional (BN).

Mawan pointed out that anything could happen in politics and as such, it was best that he did not rule anything out at the moment.

“TERAS is an effort by other Barisan leaders, out of their concern to see that the problems (in SPDP and SUPP) are solved so that the Barisan will not be affected. As SPDP president, I subscribe to this. I take note of this very seriously.

“To solve these problems, if you need to realign and re-strategise, why not? I can’t be only thinking in the context of SPDP’s strength while Barisan is weakened.

"That is why we must see beyond ourselves. I do not want to dismiss the possibility,” he told reporters.

Soon Koh and his supporters' positions in SUPP have longed been in question mark.