SPDP Presidents recent statement of “we have learnt from mistakes made in the April 16 polls and would thus be fielding only winnable candidates in the 13th general elections.” It has really open the floodgates for opinions,rethinking and reengineering from the incumbents and their supporters. It is indeed a fair statement from the President and with it an ultimate aim as one would put it as “NO PARTY WOULD WANT THEIR STRENGTH ERODED BY LOSING SEATS”
In the lasts state elections SPDP losts two(2) seats in Krian and Ba’kelalan both to PKR. Both were strongholds of SPDP as it were the seats of the Deputy President and the Secretary General of the party. The President has losts both his left and right hand man and he knows that the party needs to maintain the four(4) remaining Parliamentary seats
SPDP’s four parliamentary seats are P192 Mas Gading currently held by Dr Tiki Lafe, P 205 Saratok (Jelaing Mersat), P217 Bintulu (Tiong King Sing) and P220 Baram (Dungau Sagan). President Mawan statement and stand of late has indeed up the ante and a repeat of the PKR v SPDP in Saratok and Baram seems a mosts likely. Baram incumbent seems to have made his stand and he told the english daily,”he would love another go in Baram as he has many plans for the people.”
Saratok remains a winnable seat for SPDP while PKR has a right to differ. Saratok, with a population of over 50,000 is represented by MP Jelaing Mersat from SPDP. The state constituency of N33 Kalaka is under Abdul Wahab Aziz from PBB, and N34 Krian is under Ali Biju from PKR. In the lasts state elections Ali Biju defeated Peter Nyarok the SPDP incumbent handsomely.
An insider source reveals to us that Nyarok has not losts all hope and is eyeing revenge by putting his name in the hat as a possible candidate. He is after all the Deputy President of the party and it is highly likely that Jelaing will not be appointed to stand. The groundswell is very much against Jelaing as his “Batang Hidung” is not even seen at any of the 3 Malay villages . The “malay” votes are important in this parliamentary seat and SPDP will not chance it again as the reports on the ground is anything but kind to the incumbent.
The results below shows how Peter Nayrok was edged out by the PKR candidate at the lasts Sarawak State Elections:-
1. Liman ak Sujang (SNAP)……………………..216
2. Peter Nyarok ak Entrie (BN-SPDP)……..3,088
3. Banyi ak Beriak (Bebas)…………………….125
4. ALI AK BIJU (PKR)………………………..5,178
Jumlah mengundi/Votes Cast…………………..8,674
Peratus/Percentage………………………….78.87%
Undi rosak/Spoilt votes………………………..67
Majoriti/Majority…………………………..2,090
Penyandang/Incumbent: Peter Nyarok ak Entrie (BN-SPDP)
Undi diperolehi/Votes polled: 4,784
Majoriti/Majority: 2,089
Nyarok will make a claim for the seat as judging from the lasts two parliamentary elections SPDP has had very comfortable wins and he is all out to bait PKR assemblyman Ali Biju to stand against him. Jelaing has maintain his silence unlike Jacob Sagan and Nyarok sees this as an opportunity not to be missed to get back at PKR and make up for what he has losts
Word has got to the ears of an aide close to the PKR assemblyman. He said,”any other persons nominated by SPDP our YB will not stand in the parliamentary seat but if SPDP was to renominate Jelaing or put in Nyarok, there is every chance that he will seriously have to reconsider.
| Year | Barisan Nasional | Votes | Pct | Opposition | Votes | Pct | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Jelaing Mersat (SPDP) | 11,995 | 72% | Edmund Stanley Jugol (SNAP) | 4,450 | 27% | ||
| 2008 | Jelaing Mersat (SPDP) | 12,470 | 76% | Mohd Yahya Abdullah (PKR) | 3,764 | 23% |
PKR he said was very pleased with the assemblymans stand in his recent comments on rumours in circulation that ,”he was prepared to jump ship and also join SPDP. Furthermore he reiterated that ” he was a staunch Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) man and that was where he would remain.”
Ali is definately toying with SPDP and as he knows Nyarok very well. Nyorok being a fighter in his own right had tested the bitter pill and he will do his utmosts to lay claim to be nominated for the seat. The ball is thus played back to the feet of the election committee of SPDP and the President. Will SPDP fall into the trap of PKR as Ali Biju has been told to make his stand beforehand. PKR and Pakatan hierarchy knows that this is one seat that they can ill afford to ignore and they will push all out for Ali to re-consider for the better good of the coalition as a whole.
SPDP and BN will need to consider all options to go for a seasoned politician or take the chances with a new fresh faced candidate? No matter what this battle will go on be it with or without the names we have mentioned.
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