KUCHING: As all the three Bidayuh-majority parliamentary constituencies will work together under one roof of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), the matter would benefit the Bidayuh community.
Political analyst Datuk Peter Minos commended the decision to accept Puncak Borneo Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Willie Mongin as member of Parti Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) and said it was the best and wisest.
“More and more Bidayuhs are coming into the Bumiputera-based party, the PBB. This is good for them, now and for the future,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“Since 1963, the Bidayuhs have been politically divided and that, by itself, has weakened the Bidayuh community in all aspects.
“Given that they are a small and economically weak and struggling community, they must be politically united in a government- based party like PBB and/or political grouping like the GPS to play a meaningful role in anything in their lives,” he pointed out.
If they (the Bidayuhs) are divided, he said, and not be part of the government, it would be a disaster to them.
He added that it was nice to see all the Bidayuh-majority state seats are now in GPS where six of them are in PBB as well as one each in Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP).
Adding on, he noted that two Bidayuh MPs are in GPS. Datuk Sri Richard Riot Jaem is a member of SUPP and Willie is a new member of PBB. Meanwhile,Democratic Action Party (DAP) MP Mordi Bimol is holding the Mas Gading constituency.
“Mordi in DAP won in 2018 because of the dreaded 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and Goods and Services Tax (GST) issues but most likely will be back to GPS in the coming general election (GE15).
“The past is the past. Such is politics,” said Minos, who is also a PBB veteran.
Some in the Puncak Borneo MP seat may prefer it the other way, Minos said, but the overriding factor is for all Bidayuh MPs and assemblymen to be in GPS and thus in government.
He pointed out that once the PBB leaders made a decision after all factors are fully considered, it is best for all who truly love PBB to follow and obey.
“That is the PBB way and culture…for the party to be perpetually strong and united,” he said.
Earlier yesterday, PBB president, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, confirmed the acceptance of Willie to become a PBB member without any condition.
He revealed the matter during a press conference after chairing a PBB Supreme Council meeting at PBB headquarters.
