Puncak Borneo has at least 12 suitors for GE14

KUCHING: At least 12 names have emerged as possible replacements for outgoing Puncak Borneo MP Datuk Seri Dr James Dawos.

Among them are Dawos’ personal assistant and lawyer Datuk Detta Samen; former state ( police) special branch chief Dato Clarence Rorote Sagon, 61; former Serian Resident Dahim Nadot, 61; former Customs Department officer Dr Benedict Poris, 62; academician Dr Ahi Sarok, 60; Regional Corridor of Development Authority (Recoda) environmental officer Paul Ponar Sinjeng, 61; Councillor Wejok Tomik, 43; Clif Mengud, 50; Rangen Jamang 55; Albert Tanon, 59; Councillor Stanley Sila, 47 and Dominic Domba, 58.

According to some grassroots leaders, these 12 individuals have been promoting themselves actively through Facebook and other social media. Many are even moving actively on the ground.

When contacted, Tarat assemblyman and PBB supreme council member Datuk Roland Sagah, said there might be even more than 12 individuals now actively lobbying for the seat.

“It doesn’t matter. This is a democratic country, anybody can lobby but at the end of the day only one will be chosen,” Sagah said when contacted yesterday.

He added that the process of choosing a candidate was complicated and would normally be done by the party’s top leadership.

“Even if I were to recommend any one of them, it would be of no use because the candidate will be picked by the party’s top leadership. What I can say is that anyone who aspires to be a leader must be willing to serve regardless of race and religion because that’s the prerequisite,” he said.

Sagah said at this lobbying stage, anyone could try their luck but they should close ranks when the candidate is announced.

“During the lobbying period, things can heat up but what’s important is to remain united after someone is chosen and picked as the BN candidate,” said Sagah, who is also Assistant Minister of Native Land Development.

Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh, who is also from PBB, said the large number of those vying for the seat indicated that it was an ‘open market contest’.

“The more the merrier but of course all of them must realise that there is only one vacancy available. The lobbying process can be very intense and can even create enmity among contenders. So I hope it can be done in a friendly manner,” he said.

Bidayuh Temenggong for Kuching Division Austin Dimin said whoever the candidate would be must be able to serve the various ethnic groups in Puncak Borneo.

“Even though the Bidayuh community is the majority, there is a sizeable number of Chinese, Ibans and Malays. Whoever is picked by the BN as the candidate and if he or she is elected, that person must be fair and transparent in distributing minor rural project ( MRP) and rural transformation project ( RTP) funds to the people in the area,” he said.

Austin also hoped that the would- be candidate would not have a regional mentality which is not be good for the whole constituency.

“Puncak Borneo covers a very large area; stretching from Bau, Padawan, Penrissen and to part of Serian. So the chosen person must be able to see the overall picture of the constituency in order to serve the constituents better,” Dimin said.

Dawos, who is also Deputy Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, will not be defending the seat this time around due to health reasons.

He was first elected as then Mambong MP in 1999. Mambong was renamed as Puncak Borneo two years ago during the delineation exercise carried out by the Election Commission. It ( name) has been used to replace Bengoh as the new state seat. Its current assemblyman is Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, who is also Assistant Minister of Transportation.

Puncak Borneo covers Tarat, Mambong and Serembu seats and has more than 42,000 voters.

In the 2013 general election, Dawos won the seat in a threecornered fight with Willie Mongin of PKR and Dr Dripin Sakoi of STAR with a majority of 9,721 votes.