Richard Riot Has Resigned from BN!!

Dear Richard Riot,

What a brave decision! Congratulation! Bravo! Paguh Bina!I almost drop my tear of joy when I browsed to Malaysiakini and read the news. You are the man! Now there are only two William Wallace Sr. at the battlefield. I hope that Tiki will make his mind soon since he was dropped from his post.

I tell you what? Now is the time to eat solid food. You had consuming to much soup and get diarrhea and then you fell sick. :). [Just to entertain your sorrow].

You should know how the people of Serian loved you so much compare to Dr. George Chan. You get such a big majority (13,427 votes) but Sulaiman has been enthroned ahead of you. Please bear in mind that your decision is not for your own agenda when you said that SUPP has neglected bidayuh. This is the real hero that we are waiting for.

Be strong and courages because there are thousands behind of you and ready to give you full support on the next State Election. Just too close! You should realized earlier in 2004 when you should be the deputy minister for your 4th consecutive victory in Serian. Now you see what is happening in SUPP. All the Bidayuh are just members (Jerip, Ranum, etc) and from president to the lowest committee are belong to the Chinese. I am not sparking any racism issue here but it has been so long we have lived under the toilet bowl of other people. Same to PBB, PRS and SPDP too.

At least, your decision has given us another stepping stone to stand firm against discrimination and desertion. This is the hope of the other people on our timidity and ignorance. Scattered us form our root community and make used of us for their own benefit. You should see this thing at the first hand. How many pepper we have produced to contribute to the Sarawak Pepper Board? Was there any plan to boost the bidayuh pepper market?

Now is the time to go for better future on our own feet. We are no longer belong to other people. As for me and my household, we will give you 3 votes for you on the next State Election.

God Bless you!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Malaysiakini on 20th March 2008

Ahli parlimen Serian, Richard Riot telah keluar dari Supp - parti komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) - bersama ramai ahli parti itu dari kawasannya selepas beliau tidak dilantik sebagai timbalan menteri di peringkat pusat.

Richard, seorang Bidayuh, telah menjadi ahli parlimen Serian selama lima penggal. Beliau menang kerusi Serian sebagai calon bebas pada 1990 dan menyertai Supp untuk mengekalkan kerusinya sebagai ahli parlimen BN kerana Serian merupakan kerusi tradisi Supp.

Richard menyerahkan surat keluar parti kepada Presiden Supp, Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam pada hari yang sama Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi mengumumkan barisan kabinetnya.

Seorang ahli veteran parti itu, yang bertindak sebagai jurucakap ahli parlimen Serian itu, mengesahkan kepada Malaysiakini desas-desus bahawa Richard telah keluar parti bersama ramai penyokongnya dari lima cawangan Supp kawasan tersebut.

Setiap cawangan mempunyai lebih 1,000 ahli.

Jurucakap tersebut yang tidak mahu namanya disebut berkata, selepas surat itu diserahkan kepada Chan, presiden Supp itu menghantar setiausaha agungnya, Sim Kheng Hui pergi memujuk Richard.

"Tetapi Richard tidak dapat ditemui," tambahnya.

Menurut jurucakap itu lagi, ramai ahli Supp di Serian, sebahagian besarnya suku kaum Bidayuh, telah memulangkan kad keahlian mereka dan menghantarnya dalam sebuah beg kepada presiden parti bersama dengan surat keluar parti.

Bendera parti Supp di pejabat Serian telah diturunkan dan dibakar oleh ahli-ahli yang marah.

'Tidak dipenting'

Dalam suratnya itu, Richard dikatakan telah memberitahu Chan - salah seorang timbalan ketua menteri Sarawak - bahawa parti itu tidak mementingkan kaum Dayak.

Chan dituduh mengemukakan empat nama dari parti tersebut untuk pertimbangan perdana menteri sedangkan beliau (Chan) sendiri tahu kuota untuk parti itu hanya tiga jawatan - seorang menteri penuh dan dua timbalan menteri.

Empat nama tersebut ialah ahli parlimen Miri, Datuk Peter Chin, Datuk Robert Lau (Sibu), Datuk Yong Khoon Seng (Stampin) dan Richard Riot.

Richard memang kerusi Serian untuk penggal kelima dengan majoriti besar 13,427 undi, mengalahkan calon Snap, Sylvester Belayong Jayang. Parlimen Serian mempunyai 27,901 pemilih berdaftar - 80 peratus daripadanya suku kaum Bidayuh.

Ekoran keputusan Richard itu, Supp kini hanya mempunyai lima ahli parlimen - semua kaum Cina. Parti itu kalah kerusi parlimen (Bandar Kuching) kepada penyandang dari DAP, Chong Chieng Jen.

Richard tidak dapat dihubungi tetapi jurucakapnya memberitahu Malaysiakini bahawa beliau telah pulang ke kampungnya dan tidak akan menemui sebarang pemimpin Supp.

Beliau dijangka menjadi ahli parlimen bebas walaupun terdapat laporan yang mengatakan beliau telah menunjukkan minat untuk menyertai PKR.

******************************************************************************************

9.30pm latest: No, he's not leaving - Sarawak party denies hot rumour Richard Riot left

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 -- Serian Member of Parliament Richard Riot is still with the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) despite intense speculation that he has left the party due to dissatisfaction for not being appointed to the federal Cabinet, it was disclosed.

SUPP president Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the party had not received any resignation letter from Richard, a Bidayuh and 5-term MP for Serian.
"The party secretary-general and I have not received anything yet. I don't think it (rumour) is true. I have tried to contact him but to no avail," he said when contacted by Bernama.

Dr Chan admitted that Richard was a bit "upset" after he was not appointed to the federal Cabinet and he told him (Richard) to be patient as the party was trying to work out a solution for him.

"There is rumour saying that he wanted to join the opposition but up to now, we still cannot get in touch with him. I have asked YB Ranum (Mina)and YB Francis (Harden) to look for him as he could not be contacted," he said. Chan said he had recommended Richard's name together with party organising secretary Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui and the two vice-presidents (Datuk Robert Lau and Datuk Yong Khoon Seng) for federal Cabinet positions.

However, only 3 of the 4 were allocated posts -- Chin (Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister), Lau (Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister) and Yong (Deputy Works Minister).

"When I submitted the names, I had hoped that every one of them would get, including Richard, whom I recommended for a parliamentary secretary's post.

"However, since the prime minister (Datuk Seri Abdull ah Ahmad Badawi) decided to do away with the post, Richard was not in the list," said Dr Chan, adding that he still hoped that Abdullah would consider Richard for another post.

"At the moment, I just hope that he stays cool and let us work it out." Richard first stood for the Serian seat, a predominantly Bidayuh constituency, as an independent candidate in 1990 and later joined SUPP.

In the recently-concluded general election, he defended the seat for the fifth term by defeating SNAP candidate Sylvester Belayong Jayang with a majority of 13,427 votes.

SUPP contested seven parliamentary seats and lost only one (Bandar Kuching) to the DAP. If Richard's resignation turns out to be true, the party stands to lose one more seat. -- Bernama