Reconciliation possible but not via short cut method, says SPDP chief 

KUCHING, March 10 — Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) will agree to reconcile with five elected representatives, who were either sacked or left the party, as long as it is done in the interest of the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the party, said its president, Tan Sri William Mawan (pic).

He said that while he concurred with Sarawak Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s wish to see the five back in the party, the process should not by-pass the fundamentals of the party and coalition.

“If we try to shortcut the whole thing towards solving it, then we will be running into bigger problems. It would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire,” he told reporters after chairing the party’s supreme council meeting here today.

Taib, who is also State Barisan Nasional chairman, yesterday had suggested that the five — Mas Gading Member of Parliament, Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe and State Assemblymen Datuk Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru), Datuk Sylvester Entri (Marudi), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Gumbang (Batu Danau) — should be given time to reconcile with SPDP.

Taib said the five should not be left out alone as they had maintained their loyalty to the BN despite no longer being members of the SPDP, which is one of the state Barisan Nasional component parties.

Mawan also said it was now up to the five to initiate reconciliation talks as he had tried to sort out differences with them when they were still members of SPDP.

“They (the five elected representatives) are the ones (in the first place) who declared no confidence (in Mawan’s leadership), not us. We have a lot of trust in them, so ask them,” he said.

On talks that the five elected representatives would form a new party, Mawan said that it would be their right to do so but SPDP would object outright any intention on the part of the new party to join Barisan Nasional.

“To join Barisan Nasional is by consensus and our (SPDP) answer is no. A very big no,” he added.