Rayong defends Abdul Karim on Saratok political scene

KUCHING: Engkilili assemblyman Dr Johnichal Rayong Ngipa has come to the defense of Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah for his views on the political scenario in Saratok.

Rayong said Abdul Karim was just making a general statement in saying that Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu’s ( PBB) help is needed to win Saratok in the next parliamentary polls.

He reasoned that this is by virtue that Saratok parliamentary constituency covers two state seats held by PBB – Kalaka and Kabong through Datuk Abdul Wahab Aziz and Mohd Chee Kadir respectively.

Without strong ground support from PBB, any aspiring Barisan Nasional ( BN) candidate will find it hard to win Saratok as the opposition has made its presence felt in another state constituency, namely Krian, said Rayong when repeating what Abdul Karim had said in a previous news report.

In the report, Abdul Karim also said he concurred with the statement by incumbent Saratok MP Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom that for BN to win Saratok, its candidate must have a solid support base otherwise it would be useless to put up a candidate there, Rayong said.

Rayong added that Abdul Karim’s statement should not be making Progressive Democratic Party ( PDD) very edgy as to stop Mawan from getting re-nominated because it was not meant to hit out at anybody.

PDP now claimed that Karim was interfering in the BN affairs in Saratok for coming up with his views.