‘Focus on winning election, not over seat allocation’

April 15, 2016

SIBU: SUPP should focus on winning the election and not cry over seats not allocated to them, says former Assistant Minister of Social Development (Youth) Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

“Face the election knowing who our common enemy is instead of bragging like a lost child. Let the chief minister as the state BN head decide who should contest in which seat,” Abdul Karim, who is PBB Supreme Council member, said yesterday.

The BN Asajaya candidate was responding to SUPP president Senator Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian’s statement that he was disappointed with the nomination of direct BN candidates in several constituencies that were traditionally theirs.

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem announced six direct BN candidates in Kuching on Wednesday – Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh (Bawang Assan), Datuk Dr Jerip Susil (Mambong), Datuk Tiong Thai King (Dudong), Ranum Mina (Opar), Dr Johnical Rayong (Engkilili) and Dato Hii King Chiong (Pujut).

Dr Sim was reported to have said while they did not agree with the concept of direct BN candidates they had been overruled by the chief minister.

He added that they were disappointed with the allocation of SUPP seats to direct BN candidates, especially in Pujut, where the CM had changed his mind. Dr Sim, however, said they took cognizance of the fact that it was his (Adenan) prerogative.

On this, Abdul Karim said: “He (Adenan) is a reasonable man and makes his decision on the final candidacy based on various feedbacks on the ground and the winnability of those candidates.

“Strictly, seats that were lost in the immediate past election should be ‘open’ to the most winnable candidate from any BN party or any ‘direct BN candidate’.They have been given their opportunity before and if they could not deliver, let others who could deliver do it.”

Hence, Abdul Karim said it was most regrettable to see SUPP grumbling about this issue when the election was just around the corner. More so, when they placed the blame on Adenan for overruling their proposed candidates and forcing them to accept his decisions, he added.

“These are unkind and uncalled for remarks which do not take cognition of the need to show solidarity at this moment of time.

“We hope Dr Sim, like leaders in SUPP, knows the implications of those remarks as it can hurt the feelings of component party members who are voting in areas where they are competing too. Now is the time to close ranks and not start pointing fingers,” he said.