KUCHING, March 27 – Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), a Barisan Nasional (BN) component party in the state, will continue to look after the well-being of its incumbents who may not be nominated to contest in the upcoming 13th general election (13GE).
Its president, Tan Sri William Mawan today said since a lot had been mentioned about BN to be fielding new faces, the party felt that any of its incumbents who gave way should not be ignored.
“It is important that we take care of whoever is being retired. It’s all in the name of the party,” he told a press conference,here.
Mawan said incumbents who might not be fielded again should not take the decision personally as it was made to ensure BN’s victory in the elections.
“For the sake of winning, for the sake of Barisan Nasional, (and) for the sake of the party, we can’t take the whole issue personally. We have to give way to a bigger interest,” he said.
Mawan said while SPDP welcomed suggestions from other BN component parties on the choice of candidates, they should be respecting SPDP’s stand as well.
He was concerned that some members of the other component parties had been trying to force their ideas on the best GE13 candidates on SPDP and this could invite displeasure and distrust from the party grassroots supporters.
“We do welcome suggestions from the other component parties (over who should SPDP nominate as candidates) but not (to the extent of) displacing us, ignoring us altogether,” he said.
The SPDP represented BN in four parliamentary constituencies in the 2008 general election in which they won all through Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe for Mas Gading, Jelaing Mersat (Saratok), Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (Bintulu) and Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan (Baram).
However, Dr Tiki was expelled from the party in 2011 and SPDP had submitted a new face to be nominated as BN candidate for Mas Gading.
– BERNAMA
