Riot pledges not to fail top BN leaders for their trust in him
SERIAN: Dato Sri Richard Riot pledges not to fail the Barisan Nasional top leaders for their decision to renominate him for the Serian seat.
Riot, who is now in the running for the seventh consecutive term as Serian MP, said his immediate task is to ensure the Bidayuh-majority seat remain a BN stronghold.
“Following the official announcement of the BN candidacy this morning ( yesterday), I would like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to the BN top leadership, namely Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the federal level and Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg at the state level, for giving me the trust and confidence to be the candidate.
“I will try my level best not to fail them. I also pledge to do my best to ensure Serian stay in BN,” he said when met yesterday.
Riot’s name was mentioned among 31 candidates from the state by Abang Johari, who is Chief Minister and state BN chairman, at a press conference in Kuching earlier yesterday.
Riot was at the time at Dewan Sri Riot in Kampung Pichin near here to officiate at the launching of BN Serian Ops Centre for the 14th General Election ( GE14), when the emcee relayed the news from Kuching.
This sparked scenes of joy as the audience cheered and congratulated Riot for his renomination as BN candidate in Serian.
With Riot at the launch were Kedup assemblyman Martin Ben and Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus, both of whom were accompanied by their retinue of loyalists.
Among the crowd of 500 were community leaders including Temenggong Henry Bujang Sadok, Temenggong Jee Ah Chok, Pemanca Chai Min Lee and Penghulu Dennis Gamin.
“Serian BN will win big. We will trounce the opposition. The three elected representatives from Kedup, Bukit Semuja and Tebedu will help me achieve that,” Riot said to a loud applause from the floor.
Earlier, Riot chaired a closeddoor meeting with BN component parties.
Riot said the presence of Martin, John and Dennis who represented Tebedu assemblyman Dato Sri Michael Manyin, as well as local leaders from Parti Rakyat Sarawak ( PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party ( PDP) at the event showed the strong unity of BN in facing GE14.
Riot first won the Serian seat in 1990 as an independent despite being a member of the now defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak ( PBDS.
Three years later, he joined Sarawak United People’s Party ( SUPP) where he is now deputy president.
He defended the seat from 1995 onwards with increased majority every election, and the biggest majority was achieved in GE13 when he won with a 19,494vote majority against his closest challenger Edward Luak from DAP.
He is set for a rematch with Edward, who has been announced by state DAP as the party’s candidate in Serian. At press time, it was not immediately known if any independent candidate or those from PBDS Baru and State Reform Party (STAR) will join the fray.