Galeri: Pre-launch of the Sejiwa Senada Limbang

April 2, 2016

(From left) Limbang Resident Datuk Maria Hasman, Batu Danau State Assemblymen Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, Youth Development (Urban) Assistant Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, Deputy State Secretary Datuk Misnu Taha, Bukit Kota State Assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and Batu Danau State Assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang at the pre-launch of the Sejiwa Senada Limbang yesterday.

Abdul Karim hopes SPDP-PRS merger for unity of Dayaks

August 20, 2015

KUCHING: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) supreme council member Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah hopes the merger between Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) will be for the good of the rural Bumiputera community.

He said it would be good if both parties decided to merge as their leaders had always advocated unity of the Dayaks.

“I’m glad this idea (merger) has cropped up again, but hopefully it’s for real, that is, for the unity of the rural Bumiputera and not any other agenda,” Abdul Karim, who is Assistant Youth Development Minister, said in his WhatsApp message yesterday.

He was asked on a report yesterday that SPDP had resolved to work towards merger with PRS by enhancing cooperation and understanding with its fellow Barisan Nasional (BN) component party.

The resolution was made at SPDP supreme council meeting held at a leading hotel in Miri on Sunday and a statement issued by its supreme council member, among others, stated that the party would seriously reach out to PRS to realise the joint proposal made by the two parties some years ago.

According to Abdul Karim, the idea of merger between the two parties had been “on and off” many times, like the Malay saying ‘tengelam timbul’.

“If we look back at history, SPDP and PRS are like two children of the same parents that have parted ways,” he said, explaining that they were off-shoots of BN.

YB Fong should not utter words that tantamount to treason -Karim

April 24, 2015

KUCHING: Sixteen questions and 20 supplementary questions were answered by a minister and assistant ministers during the question-and-answer session of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday.

All of them came from Barisan Nasional (BN) elected representatives except for five posed by See Chee How (PKR-Batu Lintang) and Fong Pau Teck (IND-Pujut).

The one-hour session went well without bickering while the only minister taking questions was Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, who replied on behalf of the chief minister.

Fong asked the chief minister about the number of Bangladeshi and Indonesian workers in the state. After Jabu responded to his question, Fong further queried how many out of the numbers provided were illegal workers.

Maintaining his cool, Jabu said the figures he told the House were based on the records of the Immigration Department, which would not indicate the number of those entering the state illegally.

When pressed, Jabu reiterated: “We do not know the figure on the illegal workers, that is why I asked Pujut to tell us.”

Earlier, instead of posing his question the usual way by reading out the number, Abu Seman Jahwie (BN-Jemoreng) stressed the importance of being given a hearty answer.

Karim - The return of G4 will strengthen SPDP

March 22, 2014

“The return of the four Aduns (state assemblymen) would definitely strengthen SPDP.” -Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah 

KUCHING: The reinstatement of the four former leaders of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) into the party, who together with former Mas Gading MP Dr Tiki Lafe were sacked by the party, has been hailed by the state’s political leaders as a good move.

Datuk Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru assemblyman), Datuk Sylvester Enrri (Marudi), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau), who were sacked from the party for gross insubordination and dubbed ‘G4’, received their reinstatement certificates on Wednesday.

Before they were sacked, Nansian was senior vice president, Entri and Rosey were vice presidents and Paulus was information chief.

State Barisan Nasional (BN) youth chief Datuk Fadillah Yusof said the reinstatement of the four elected representatives into the party was a good move that would strengthen SPDP and BN as a whole.

“The (reinstatement) is good for both SPDP and BN,” Fadillah, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) youth chief and Works Minister, said in his text message when contacted.

PBB supreme council member Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah pointed out that it was good to see all was well in SPDP.

“The return of the four Aduns (state assemblymen) would definitely strengthen SPDP,” the Asajaya assemblyman, who is former chief political secretary to the chief minister, wrote in his text message when contacted.

Karim very proud G5 supporters in Beluru have confidence in PBB

August 4, 2013

SIBU: Parking or joining other component BN parties should be considered after all avenues have been exhausted to avoid more problems from arising.

PBB Supreme Council member Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this yesterday in response to the call by grassroots leaders in Beluru to the G5 to join PBB.

Nabor branch chairman Joshua Dungkong and longhouse chief Colin Sait reportedly told G5 member Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran they picked PBB because it was the biggest party in the state BN and it had won all seats it contested in the May 5 general election.

Earlier, Entri met up with 40 grassroots leaders at Beluru in Marudi.

Abdul Karim said as a PBB member he was very proud that G5 supporters in Beluru had confidence in PBB.

“However, let’s not rush into things. This is a problem in SPDP, which is a component in BN, and our task is to resolve the problem internally within SPDP,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Resorting to joining another component party at this time is premature and could aggravate more problems, he cautioned.

CM’s stand on ex-SPDP leaders ‘fair’ – Karim

August 3, 2013 

KUCHING: A senior politician yesterday described as ‘fair’ the statement by the chief minister to give a place in the BN for the five sacked SPDP members.

“What CM (Chief Minister) said is fair … good leaders who have shown so much dedication and commitment to BN should not be dumped just because of differences within the party,” said PBB Supreme Council member Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah in a text message.

Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud made his stand on the five former SPDP members on Thursday. The five are assemblymen Datuk Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru), Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran (Marudi), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu), Paulus Palu Ngumbang (Batu Danau) and former Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe.

The five, whose moniker is G5, was sacked by SPDP for gross insubordination more than a year ago, but they continued to serve their respective constituencies as BN elected representatives.

On Monday, PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing offered them to join his party.

The following day, Nansian said the G5 would discuss their next course of action, but Taib on Thursday advised them not to rush into joining any BN party.

Taib said BN “do not kick people out if they are intensely very loyal to BN”.