PBB Ba Kelalan wants Sum to defend Lawas
LAWAS: PBB Ba Kelalan branch wants its chairman and incumbent Datuk Henry Sum Agong to be renominated as BN candidate for Lawas in the coming 14th General Election (GE14).
Its deputy chairman Philip Pengiran Racha said the branch, including its Youth and Women wings, were unanimous in their stand for Sum to defend the seat, which a is BN stronghold, in GE14.
Several quarters had been reported to be lobbying to be BN candidate for the constituency.
Thus, the branch sent a clear message that they did not wish to see any lobbying for the seat as it would be tantamount to disregarding the wishes of grassroots people.
Appointed as Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism in June last year, Sum, 71, is serving his fourth term as member of Parliament.
He was first elected as MP for Bukit Mas constituency in 1999 and won unopposed in 2004. After the delineation of electoral boundaries, he stood in Lawas and won with landslide victory in 2008 and 2013.
At its meeting last week, the branch frowned on efforts by outsiders to raise the issue of a new candidate for Lawas, regarding it as an effort to split the Lun Bawang community and the people of Lawas.
The branch later came up with a ‘One Voice’ statement to reiterate its stand and express confidence in Sum’s leadership, saying he was hardworking, experienced and still able to lead and serve the constituents well.
“We are appealing to NGOs and those from outside Lawas not to use GE14 for their own interest and disregard unity and solidarity in Lawas constituency,” it said.
The branch pointed out that Sum was well-liked on the ground as a selfless leader with strong religious values and was fair to everyone in Lawas.
The branch urged those aspiring to be candidate to, instead, work as a team to ensure BN win with an even bigger majority to reflect a strong voice from the constituency.