Chief Minister confirms Mawan is PBB member

MIRI: Chief Minister and PBB president Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has confirmed that former SPDP and Teras president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom had applied to be a PBB member in 2016.

He was asked about the announcement by Saratok MP and Pakan assemblyman on Monday that he was a PBB member since 2016.

“I was there with the late Tok Nan (former chief minister and PBB president Pehin Sri Adenan Satem),” he said after declaring open the Miri Division Ummah Development Seminar 2018 at Dewan Suarah Miri yesterday.

The chief minister was referring to the occasion when six direct BN candidates submitted their application to join PBB to Tok Nan after winning in the state election in May 2016.

The six were Mawan ( Pakan), Datuk Gerawat Gala ( Mulu), Rosey Yunus ( Bekenu), Paulus Palu Gumbang ( Batu Danau), John Ilus ( Bukit Semuja) and Miro Simuh (Serembu).

Abang Johari said Mawan held back announcing his PBB membership until Monday this week.

Mawan’s disclosure came a day after the Chief Minister and state BN chairman suggested that there should not any direct BN candidacy in the coming parliamentary election.

He had indicated that he was a member of a BN component party in January this year but did not specify the party.

The veteran politician hoped that the affirmation and declaration would put to rest doubts on his current status and political movement, saying he was leaving it to the BN and PBB leadership to decide whether he would be a candidate in the coming general election.

He was quoted as saying: “As to the status of Pakan state constituency, which I represent, it will now be held by PBB, by consequence of implication”.