SPDP central region chairman Lau Cheng Kiong has called on Mawan to give up either one of his positions, saying the veteran politician will not be able to serve the people well due to his dual roles.
Mawan is a former SPDP president until he left to form Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) in 2014. He was then president of Teras until he had to quit the party to stand as a Barisan Nasional (BN) direct candidate in the state polls on May 7. Teras is not a component member of the Sarawak BN coalition.
SPDP Youth chief Robert Ayu and Wanita chief Chew Yen Chiew meanwhile, urged Mawan to step down as Saratok MP.
In a joint statement, they claimed Mawan had agreed to step down as Saratok MP to contest as a direct BN candidate for Pakan.
According to the Sarawak-based daily, they also cited previous news reports in which Chief Minister Adenan Satem allegedly made it clear that an MP must not stand as a BN candidate in the state election.
Ayu and Chew also pointed out that the Saratok seat – which Mawan won in GE13 when he was then SPDP president – traditionally belonged to SPDP.
“Thus, we now demand the seat be given back to SPDP to enable a by-election to be carried out soonest.”
Meanwhile, there are likely to be seven new faces joining the Sarawak Cabinet today as assistant ministers, according to Borneo Post.
Citing sources, the report said the assemblymen are Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi (Pantai Damai), Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Ghazali (Samariang), Dr Annuar Rapaee (Nangka), Dr Penguang Manggil (Marudi), Gerawat Gala (Mulu), Malcom Mussen Lamoh (Batang Ai) and Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail (Bukit Kota).
The seven new assistant ministers will replace the assistant ministers in the previous Cabinet who have either retired, did not stand in the last state election or are not slated for reappointment.
These include Daud Abdul Rahman, Gramong Juna, Robert Lawson Chuat, Peter Nansian Ngusie, Sylvester Entri Muran, Mong Dagang and Abdul Wahab Aziz.
The daily’s news portal reported that the remaining 12 assistant ministers from the previous Cabinet – with the exception of Dr Stephen Rundi Utom who has been promoted to the position of a full minister – will be reappointed as assistant ministers.
Tarat assemblyman, Roland Sagah Wee Inn is the former deputy Speaker of DUN. The position is of the same rank as an assistant minister.
Sagah is expected to become an assistant minister in the Cabinet this time around, with one of the seven new faces expected to replace him as deputy Speaker.