BAU, June 13 — Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has called on voters in Mas Gading to ensure the parliamentary seat is returned to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in the coming 15th General Election (GE15).
The GPS chairman said this was to ensure the constituency, which is now represented by the opposition DAP, does not lag behind in development.
“I call on everyone here to ensure victory to the GPS candidate who will be contesting here.
“You have seen what you get with the opposition.
“What they said, they did not deliver. Likewise with what they planned to do. You lose (in the end),” said the Premier of Sarawak when officiating the Bau Gawai Open House 2022 at the Civic Centre here yesterday.
His wish is to see GPS make a clean sweep of all three Bidayuh parliamentary seats, he added.
Apart from Mas Gading, the other two Bidayuh majority seats are Puncak Borneo and Serian.
Only the seat of Serian is currently represented by GPS.
“This election we ‘sapu’ (win) all the Bidayuh seats,” he said.
Meanwhile, Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) vice president Datuk Henry Harry Jinep when met after the function said there are several potential candidates from the party in Mas Gading.
He said this included entrepreneur Lidang Disen, who has been moving around in the constituency.
Lidang hails from Kampung Stenggang and has been actively working on the ground since the time of former Mas Gading MP Datuk Anthony Nogeh Gumbek.
He added Lidang, who is a civil engineer by profession, is also PDP Tasik Biru exco member.
“We will forward his name to the PDP Supreme Council meeting. We need to evaluate the reception from the people on the ground.
“It will be up to the PDP top leadership to decide which candidate can bring back Mas Gading to GPS,” he said.
To a question, he said there had not been any notable contribution from the present MP from DAP since elected in 2018.
Lidang when met said there is now confidence on the ground that GPS can win back Mas Gading.
“What is important is for all components to work together to ensure victory. I have worked on the ground to canvass support for GPS in Tasik Biru and Opar in the last state election,” said the 47-year-old Lidang, who cited Henry as his mentor. — Borneo Post Online
