No accepting of independent candidates by BN – Abg Johari
JULAU: Independent candidates who contest in this election will not be accepted into the Barisan Nasional (BN) even if they win the election, Sarawak BN chairman and Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said.
He said it would be a breach of BN’s discipline if an independent candidate who won an election were to be accepted into the coalition.
“I am serious about this and I will not tolerate. BN is BN. That is why I give my support when Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) replaced two of its former MPs.
“I support the new candidacies of Rita Insol and Robert Pasang Alam. Why? Because we do not want disunited BN,” he said at a meet-the-people session at Rumah Matthew Jana in Batu Matup here yesterday. He added that he will not tolerate any sabotage by anyone from within the BN.
“The coalition will know what to do if we find out sabotage has occurred. We have discipline.”
Earlier, he said the political situation in Sarawak is different from that in Peninsular Malaysia.
“In West Malaysia, they fight everyday. If they want to fight, let them fight.
“Here we are very united and this unity must be preserved at all cost,” he said.
Abang Johari added that BN aims to win more seats this election.
“When we win more seats we can have better bargaining power when talking to the federal government to pursue our rights under Malaysia Agreement 1963.”
At the function, he announced allocations for various development projects in Julau parliamentary constituency totalling RM139.3 million.
Also present were BN-PRS candidate for Julau Datuk Joseph Salang, Pemanca Dato Janggu Banyang, Â Meluan assemblyman Rolland Duat, Pelagus assemblyman Wilson Nyabong Ijang and Tuai Rumah Matthew Jana.