Abang Johari hints new BN candidate for Saratok
SARATOK: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, who is the state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman hinted that Saratok incumbent Tan Sri William Mawan would not be re-nominated to defend his seat in the coming parliamentary election.
This was in line with BN’s policy of giving a chance for young leaders to take over the senior ones, he said in his speech at the government community outreach programme ‘Sejiwa Senada’ here yesterday afternoon.
Significantly Mawan despite being the incumbent was not present at the function while there was a large representation of Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) members led by Subeng Mula — the front runner to stand in Saratok.
Mawan’s conspicuous absence and Subeng’s presence added fuel to speculation that the Saratok incumbent would be dropped to make way for the PDP leader.
Abang Johari added that his Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), for instance, never denied young leaders the chance to lead and the seniors too were ever ready to pass them the baton of leadership.
“There is bound to be new faces fielded by BN in this forthcoming parliamentary election.”
He said leaders in PBB knew that when it would be time to go down, they would do so, he said.
There has been the intense lobbying by Mawan (PBB) and Dr James Chela and Basil Thomas, besides Subeng to stand in Saratok.
Saratok will not be a walk in the park for any BN candidate as Krian — one of its three state constituencies — is held by Ali Biju of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) who gave Mawan a tough fight in the last parliamentary election.
Voters in Krian are overwhelmingly Ibans but Kabong and Kalaka, the other two state areas making up the Saratok parliamentary constituency have majority Malay voters.
There are rumblings from these two state constituencies for a Malay candidate to represent BN in the poll and there are rumours that a Malay intellectual and son of a prominent Malay politician are also eyeing the seat.