Last Updated: 8:23pm, May 15, 2014

KUCHING (May 15): A group of 10 state Barisan Nasional elected representatives from two component parties – SPDP and SUPP - today announced quitting their parties and uniting under a new ‘BN plus’ party as the ultimate solution to end party crisis.

TERAS, Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak, the new party registered last year, currently has 11 elected representatives making it the second largest party in the state after Parti Persaka Bumiputera Bersatu.

The group includes six from SPDP and four from SUPP.  Pelagus state assemblyman George Lagong, who was an independent before joining newly formed Sarawak Workers Party, is also with the group. They will only announce the party leadership on a later date.

The announcement was made by SPDP president Tan Sri William Mawan, SUPP Sibu branch chairman Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, and head of G4 Peter Nansian, after the adjournment of state legislative assembly today.

Wong and Mawan said they were in the “same boat” after being “forced out” by rival faction in their respective parties and hence had no choice but to find this new vehicle to continue to serve the people, and to strengthen BN.

“I’ve been under siege, harassed in a way, all sort of vicious thing against me as president… the only reason is because I brought in the re-admission of four senior leader (G4) to come back to BN.

“To consolidate BN and to solve the problem in SPDP, we are here today, I announce I quit as president of SPDP” Mawan stated his mutiny.
Opposition to Mawan’s leadership started right after the SPDP president readmitted the four assemblymen G4 Datuk Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru), Datuk Sylvester Entri (Marudi), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Gumbang (Batu Danau) in March.

Leading the opposing voice is his deputy, Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, who is said to have the backing of nearly all members of the party’s supreme council.

Other than the G4, another SPDP Baram MP Anyi Ngau also join Mawan. Mawan is appealing other members to join him.

On the other hand, Wong, involved in SUPP party crisis since 2011, said he was “forced out” by the faction led by party president Tan Sri Peter Chin.

“Since I was elected (as Bawang Assan state assemblyman in 2011 state election), I was prevented from joining the cabinet.

“(The then) party president George Chan agreed that I should join. But I received a letter from party secretariat that I joined cabinet in my personal capacity. That is nothing to do with the party, I only revealed to you now probably for the first time,” said Wong, the only full minister from SUPP after the last state election where most of their senior leaders defeated, including the then president George Chan.

Wong said recently BN top leaders had proposed a peace plan -  50:50 power sharing formula and defer party election until after state election, which was personally suggested by the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, but the other faction denied of such formula.

“Because of the breakdown of the peace plan we feel that there is no sincerity on the other part and we have to move on.

“We don’t want to keep on quarreling. We are tired of this squabbling and perhaps we have to go separate ways,” he said, adding that everyone including the Chinese community in the state are tired of their endless squabbling.

SUPP has settled its longstanding problem with Registrar of Society on April 30 and would proceed with party election this August.

Following Wong to join TERAS are Dr Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Ranun Mina (Opar), and Dr Johnical Rayong (Engkilili).

The other two elected representatives – Lee Khim Shin (Senadin), Francis Harden (Simanggang) who had previously pledged to “sink or swim” with Wong, had yet to announce their stand.

Dubbed as a BN plus party – with serving BN ministers and representatives loyal to BN, the leaders said they would apply formally to join state BN despite expected objections of other BN component parties.

The group is urging all supporters to join TERAS, which is open to all and not a threat to anyone. They claim more than two PKR members are keen to join. The new party will apply formally to join state BN.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, who was aware of this new development that would change the political landscape in the state, said he would only make comment at an appropriate time later.

"I will say the appropriate thing at the appropriate time. I let everybody has their say first, I will have the last word later on. I will call you when the time is right," Adenan told reporters, who was accompanied by Mawan after the press conference before leaving the state legislative assembly building.

Earlier this afternoon, Head of State Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, the former chief minister who is known for supporting G4 and Wong, was spotted to have lunch with the group.

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