KUCHING: The candidate to represent Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in Mambong in the next state election has yet to be decided.
On this, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg answered in the negative when reporters asked him about it.
“No, I don’t know. How can we talk about candidates when you don’t know the election date?” he asked during a visit to lawyer Shankar Ram Asnani’s Deepavali open house at King’s Curry Restaurant, Jalan Rumbia yesterday.
When asked if Mambong seat would belong to Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) or remain with Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), the GPS president again refused to comment.
“I don’t know. We (PBB) just took in Datuk Dr Jerip Susil. That’s all,” said Abang Johari, who is also PBB president.
Last July, Dr Jerip left Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) where he was deputy president.
Only after PBB party supreme council meeting last Thursday did PBB unanimously accepted him.
PSB (formerly United People’s Party formed in 2014) is a splinter of SUPP. Its president is Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh.
Last Friday, SUPP president Datuk Seri Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said Mambong seat belongs to his party.
“A person can decide to leave any political party but Mambong seat remains with SUPP,” said Sim.
