SUPP's Late Plead to The Bidayuh

SUPP hopes Riot gets PM’s reconsideration

The Borneo Post Press

KUCHING: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) is still hoping that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will consider its five-term Serian Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Richard Riot for a federal post.

SUPP president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan said with his long service record, Riot should be able to serve the country well and perform better should he be given a federal post rather than just an elected representative.

“We hope he will be given some post. It is the prime minister’s prerogative, but we have already indicated our hopes and wishes,” Dr Chan told Bernama here yesterday. Riot, a veteran Bidayuh MP, has dismissed rumours that he had defected to the opposition because of frustration after not being included in Abdullah’s new administration amidst intense speculation about his appointment.

“I know Datuk Richard. He has been there for a long time and I am confident that he cannot be bought over by the opposition,” said Dr Chan who is Deputy Chief Minister.

The issue of Riot leaving SUPP, a Barisan Nasional (BN) component party, did not arise at all, he said.

Dr Chan said Riot, who was upset about the rumours and had taken some time off in Kuala Lumpur, conveyed to him over the telephone Friday that he was expected to meet Abdullah soon to explain his situation.

He said he was optimistic that Riot, whose name was in the list proposed by the SUPP to the prime minister prior to the cabinet announcement, would be given another consideration to fill one of the two deputy ministerial posts turned down by two MPs from Sabah and Pahang recently.

The two MPs are Datuk Anifah Aman who was earlier named Deputy Transport Minister and Datuk Seri Tengku Azlan Abu Bakar who was to be Deputy Foreign Minister.

In the March 8 general election, Riot received a strong mandate in the Bidayuh majority seat of Serian for a fifth term by defeating Sarawak National Party (SNAP)’s Sylvester Belayong Jayang with a majority of 13,427 votes.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president Dato Sri William Mawan said he had yet to receive any indication from Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe that he was leaving the party after being dropped from the new federal administration.

–Bernama

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The four names of SUPP candidates submitted by Dato Geroge Chan to the Prime Minister to be appointed as the federal Ministers are:

Datuk Robert Lau (Sibu) – Deputy Minister of Housing and Local government.

Datuk Peter Chin (Miri) - Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities (State)

Datuk Yong Khoon Seng (Stampin)- Deputy Minister of Work Minister

Dato Richard Riot – No Minister at all.

As George Chan already knows that Yong Koon Seng and Robert Law were appointed as the deputy minister, he tends to forget his brother Richard in the list. He should act earlier if he concerns of Bidayuh under SUPP after the rest of the other BN parties cannot recommend any Bidayuh guy to the Federal Ministry.

The Dayak has no different with snails. If you put a group of snail (tengkuyung) in a pail they will never let anyone of them to climb until the top of the pail and escape. PBB has proven that by putting on day candidate, Sulaiman and forget about Dawos. The SPDP have ignored Tiki rejection as the Deputy Minister sing the different song with fellow Iban and Kenyah to celebrate Tiki’s lost position.

SUPP should ask the same question to Mawan and Taib on the Bidayuh status in the federal ministry. This golden triangle have play an important role to put Bidayuh to the lowest ground so that the third largest will be the minority as what is happening to Kadazan, Dusun and Murut.

Why SUPP has to say about its concern to Bidayuh now? William Tanyuh was the Bidayuh’s slaughtered sheep on the SUPP altar. The Bidayuh has put risky hopes to SUPP as I know that Bidayuh constituencies are not developing under SUPP. Padawan, under Jerip is one of the example. What has Jerip done for under SUPP? Sad to see some of the Benuk people could not get a clean water supply for centuries.

The Bidayuh should learn something from SUPP. The lost SUPP candidates in much urban area must be aware off as SUPP even does not cares about the Chinese themselves. Lily Yong lost her seat to PKR in Padungan and so much more. Ranum, Jerip, Riot are not delivering the Bidayuh agenda but SUPP agenda as far as the party welfare is concern.

The last plead is to ask Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to reinstate Riot to be the Parliament Secretary? If he (AAB) even rejected Terengganu MB, than what is the different to beg for Riot to be reinstate? Will he listens to George Chan plead? He wills only if Serian can produce gasoline from durian threes. How? Let George and SUPP high council decide.