Path clear for Mawan, Teras members to rejoin SPDP, says party sec-gen
KUCHING: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party ( SPDP) is all set to accept former members who left the party to form Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak ( Teras) under the leadership of Tan Sri William Mawan.
Mawan, who is also the former SPDP president, had expressed willingness to go back to the party together with most of the Teras members.
Since the last state election in May this year, Teras has been inactive and its members are now practically partyless.
Mawan himself had resigned from Teras before the state election to stand as the Barisan Nasional ( BN) independent candidate in Pakan – and won.
With rumours that the general election would be held early next year, Mawan and his followers are willing to bury the hatchet with SPDP to pave the way for them to rejoin their former party.
SPDP secretary general Anthony Nogeh told The Borneo Post that Mawan had met up with SPDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing about three months ago to talk about the issue.
“After the meeting, we ( party leaders) were supposed to get in touch with Tan Sri ( Mawan) to settle the details. He is supposed to be the first one to re- apply to rejoin the party.
“However, we were all very busy after that. There had been difficulties in setting a date to meet and talk in detail. Like myself, I was in Kuala Lumpur last month to carry out my duty as the Deputy Agriculture and Agro- based Industry Minister, so the whole matter has been put on hold,” said Nogeh, who is Mas Gading MP.
He said he would follow up on the arrangement for Teras members to rejoin SPDP upon returning to Kuching soon.
“I have met up with Tan Sri off and on. It is very clear that he has shown the intention of returning to SPDP. And we welcome him with open arms,” said Nogeh, who stressed that it would be Teras members joining SPDP; not a merger between the two parties.
Nogeh said Mawan would take the lead by being the fi rst to rejoin SPDP. The rest of Teras’ leaders and members are expected to follow after him.
Meanwhile, a Teras party leader who wished to maintain anonymity said it was true that members of Teras would rejoin SPDP.
“The strongest hint was from Mawan himself during his last book launch, where he indicated his intention to rejoin SPDP. With rumours of general election approaching, the whole matter of the two parties getting together might accelerate.”
Prior to resigning from SPDP, Mawan had stood as the BN candidate in the parliamentary seat of Saratok when he was still the party’s president in 2013.
He won the seat and the only way for him to defend his seat as the BN candidate would be by rejoining SPDP as Saratok had been allocated to the party, under a BN understanding.
“With SPDP’s need to get hold of Saratok while Mawan and his loyalists and supporters needing a BN component party as a platform to continue their political struggle, the arrangement as per indicated by Nogeh is understood to be viable,” said the leader via Whatsapp, adding that this would be a win-win situation for both parties.