S’wak BN all ready for 14th General Election – Uggah
KUCHING: Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) is now in fifth gear preparing for the 14th General Election, which is now expected to be called early next year.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the coalition is ready for the GE14 and has come up with strategies to repeat or better its excellent performances achieved in previous elections.
“The Budget 2018 (tabled by the federal government) set aside a lot of allocations for the people in Sarawak. This reinforced our stand that BN government aims to bring more development and will continue to do so.
“Now we want to make sure programmes mentioned in the federal budget are delivered and reach objectives especially to the rural people so that they will continue supporting BN,” he told reporters after representing Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg at the launching of PDP’s name and logo at a leading hotel here on Sunday night.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had indicated on Sunday that the GE14 would be held next year, and he had told BN components to be ready to face it within the next 180 days.
In the GE13 in 2013, BN won 25 out of the 31 parliamentary seats in Sarawak
Meanwhile, PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said the party, now with new logo and name, is also ready to deliver all its four seats - Mas Gading, Saratok, Bintulu and Baram - to BN in the GE14.
“We will ensure our quota of four seats is returned to BN, and we will help other components to
The Budget 2018 (tabled by the federal government) set aside a lot of allocations for the people in Sarawak. This reinforced our stand that BN government aims to bring more development and will continue to do so.
deliver their seats to BN,” he said.
Tiong also said Saratok MP Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom has yet to apply to join PDP despite talks of him needing to do it in order to be re-nominated.
With or without Mawan, he stressed the party is not short of qualified people to be nominated as the BN candidate in Saratok.
“Our party has four seats only, and Saratok is one of them. We already have few potential candidates, and when the time comes we will tell you who will be candidate there.
“Up to today (Sunday) when the supreme council held our meeting, there is no application from Tan Sri (Mawan) yet,” he said.
He added even if Mawan applies, the membership application will have to be decided by the party’s supreme council.
Asked if whether Mawan was waiting to be invited back to the party, he said Mawan will still have to apply like others.
“Is he waiting for me or am I waiting for him? If he is interested to apply, then apply. The form is at the headquarters,” he said.
Mawan was president of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party ( SPDP), the old name for PDP, for more than 10 years before he quit to join and lead Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak ( Teras) in 2014.
A year earlier, Mawan had won the Saratok seat in a threecornered fight by a 2,081 votemajority. After successfully defending his Pakan state seat as BN direct candidate in last year’s state election, Mawan is now partyless but he is still moving around in Saratok indicating his readiness to defend the seat.
Three lobbyists namely Subeng Mula, Basil Thomas and Dr James Chela have also moved around in the constituency to gain popular support and get the BN candidacy.
Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Deputy Chief Minister