Riot reiterates readiness to defend Serian seat in GE14
SERIAN: Serian MP Datuk Seri Richard Riot claims he is still fit to defend the parliamentary constituency for the seventh consecutive term.
He reiterated his readiness to contest again in the coming 14th General Election (GE 14), which he believed is likely to be held sometime this year.
“I still have the health and the stamina to battle it out and serve you ( Serian constituents) for the next five years,” he said at the New Year 2017 countdown at his village Kampung Pichin, near here, on Saturday night.
He advised the people against listening to past leaders who were once in Barisan Nasional but now were leading the opposition front, saying they were out to confuse the rakyat for their own selfish end.
Riot, who is Human Resources Minister, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak “deserves to have his trusted lieutenants by his side” in the coming GE.
“Datuk Seri Najib has been in office for only six years and he has visited Serian four times and Kampung Pichin once. That’s the hallmark of a leader ‘ berjiwa rakyat’ (with the heart for the people),” he stressed.
On another note, Riot said he was buoyed by the presence of a big crowd, estimated at 2,000 people, who packed the venue Awah Gawai Tun Abdul Razak that night for the countdown.
Riot, who is also Sarawak United People’s Party ( SUPP) deputy president, said such show of unity and cooperation among the villagers bode well for BN.
He noted that BN supporters in Pichin were basically either members of SUPP or Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu ( PBB).
It was because of this cooperation and unity that Pichin has been rewarded with two full ministers, himself at the federal level and Tebedu assemblyman Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong as Minister of Youth and Sports and Solidarity at the state level.
“For as long as members of these two parties cooperated, Pichin would remain at the forefront of both state and national politics.
“I call on the people of Kampung Pichin, no matter your political affiliations, whether you are in SUPP or PBB, continue with your cooperation and unite under BN. For a village to be able to produce two full ministers simultaneously is a record…historical, in fact.
“The people of Pichin have the gems of politics in their hands, why be foolish to throw these gems away,” Riot said.
He added that judging from last May state election where Manyin polled a handsome majority in the village, he was confident Pichin would continue to vote for development again come the GE14.