Nogeh winnable candidate, says SPDP official
Borneo Post on March 26, 2013, Tuesday
KUCHING: SPDP nominee for Barisan Nasional (BN) candidacy in Mas Gading parliamentary constituency Anthony Nogeh Gumbek, is a winnable candidate as he is fresh, clean and loyal, said Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party SPDP Tasik Biru treasurer Gines Ruwia.
Gines said those in the BN who lobby against Nogeh harbour a personal agenda and that was why they failed to look at the bigger picture which was to support BN all out in the coming general elections.
Their claim that Nogeh was not a good public speaker was silly, said Ruwia when contacted yesterday.
“Just look at Adolf Hitler. He was a fiery public speaker but look at the devastation he had done in Europe. A great public speaker does not guarantee goodness,” he said.
“Nogeh is still attached to the civil service and that is why he still keep a low profile. He works through cell groups explaining to the people about government transformation programmes and development policies. Nogeh has leadership qualities and is very approachable,” he said.
Gines said a leader will be capable of public speaking once he is given the mandate and responsibility. At the end of the day, people just want clarity and honesty in all public speeches, he added.
He said he would like to remind Nogeh’s rivals for the BN candidacy in Mas Gading that he (Nogeh) had the support of BN component parties like PPB and SUPP in Mas Gading and was gaining acceptance among the grassroots.
Gines pointed out that Mas Gading was a traditional BN stronghold and that was why some interested quarters were so desperate in wanting to hang on to it instead of becoming independent candidate or joining opposition parties.
“BN is winnable. Mas Gading is a BN stronghold. I believe that, come election day majority of the constituents will root for the BN. And Nogeh is BN,” he said.
Nogeh, from Kampung Duyuh, is Deputy General Manager of Salcra. He is tipped to replace party less incumbent MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe in Mas Gading as candidate as the latter has been sacked by SPDP for gross insubordination.
Nansian calls for end to debate over Mas Gading candidacy
Borneo Post on March 26, 2013, Tuesday
KUCHING: All Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties should stop making claims over the choice of candidate for Mas Gading constituency as it has been agreed by them that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will make the final decision.
Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie, who made this stand yesterday, added that Najib’s final choice would be based on his assessment of the aspiring candidates’ winning chances based on feedback from the ground.
“This has been agreed upon by all parties so why make too much noise about you want this person or we don’t want this person as if you don’t have the trust in PM to make the final decision.
“In the meantime we wait for line-up to be announced, our job is to campaign for whoever is going to stand for BN in Mas Gading,” he said.
He was responding to statements by some Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) leaders that Mas Gading belongs to the party and there was no way the incumbent MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe was going to be re-nominated.
“As clearly explained by Sarawak BN secretary Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi as far as Mas Gading is concerned, the seat is still open but the choice of candidate is not for us to make. Leave it to PM who has the final say,” he reiterated.
The issue of candidacy in Mas Gading arose following the sacking of Dr Tiki and four state legislative assembly members by SPDP during an internal crisis in the party last year.
Apart from Dr Tiki, the other four state assemblymen sacked were Nansian, Datuk Dr Sylvester Entrie Muran (Marudi), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Palu Gumbang.
The group had since formed a BN club to lobby for Dr Tiki to be renominated to defend his seat as a direct BN candidate while SPDP on the other hand had recommended Salcra deputy general manager Anthony Nogeh Gumbek as his replacement.
PBB leaders in Mas Gading support Nogeh
by Samuel Aubrey, theborneopost.com. Posted on January 21, 2013, Monday
PROMISE OF SUPPORT: John (standing) addressing the audience during the ‘Ngarom Tikuruk Jagoi Bratak’ dinner.
BAU: SPDP’s pick for Mas Gading in the 13th general election, Anthony Nogeh Gumbek, has been assured of full support from PBB Tasik Biru and PBB Opar branches.
PBB leaders in Mas Gading, led by PBB Tasik Biru chairman John Nyigor, all expressed their backing for Nogeh during the ‘Ngarom Tikuruk Jagoi Bratak’ (Bratak Jagoi Gathering) at Brooke Homestay, Pejiru, near here on Saturday.
Other PBB leaders present were PBB Tasik Biru publicity chief Patrick Sibon, PBB Tasik Biru Youth chief Lobot Juma and PBB Opar deputy chairman Asiang Gihep.
Other representatives from villages in Jagoi-Bratak who were present also expressed similar support for Nogeh.
They said they regarded Nogeh as the most suitable candidate for the BN to contest in Mas Gading, whose MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe is now partyless after being sacked from SPDP about a year ago for gross insubordination.
John said the candidate for Mas Gading should be picked from BN component parties and not otherwise.
“If we pick people from within BN, nobody will question. There is no assurance that we will support a candidate from outside BN,” he said.
“I am not against any individual but we must follow BN principles, and that is that those in the BN should be nominated as the candidate.”
He also advised all Bidayuh voters in Mas Gading to be united and give their full backing to Nogeh.
“People are now rushing to become the BN candidate because people believe BN can still sell. BN has principles. In the BN Supreme Council, every component party has two representatives, but ‘BN Club’ do not have its representative in the Supreme Council.”
The BN Club is a yet-to-be registered body led by sacked SPDP members. They are now actively promoting Dr Tiki to defend Mas Gading.
With so many goings-on in Mas Gading, John believed that the electorate we now well informed and would not be easily hoodwinked.
Sibon said they fully support Nogeh as the people of Jagoi and Bratak villages needed an elected representative who is close to the people.
“We have confidence in Nogeh because he is the person who can work with the people,” he said, adding that the people of Jagoi and Bratak had been waiting for 15 years for this moment.
Sibon stressed that giving infrastructure alone was not enough. There needed to be economic development as well.
“Commercial agriculture should be one of the economic activities that an elected representative should bring to the people in the constituency.”
He cited the people’s interest in wanting to plant rubber as one area where the assistance of an elected representative is much needed.
“Many people were interested to plant rubber on their land but Risda (Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority) wanted the land to be titled first before they could approve the projects. We have no land title and as such Risda couldn’t help us.
“So, we want our representative to address the matter.”
Lobot said everyone should respect SPDP’s decision to nominate Nogeh.
“He is a capable person and if given the chance I believe he can deliver and serve the constituents well.”
Asiang, who spoke on behalf of PBB Opar, said the branch also fully supported Nogeh’s nomination.
He opined that the people of Mas Gading needed a representative who is proactive and could help bring some semblance of economic transformation in Mas Gading.
Mas Gading ours – SPDP sec-gen
by Samuel Aubrey, theborneopost.com. Posted on March 11, 2013, Monday
Datuk Nelson Balang Rining
BAU: SPDP is highly optimistic that the top BN leadership will still allocate Mas Gading to the party come the 13th general election.
Its secretary-general Datuk Nelson Balang Rining said the party’s rights over this predominantly Bidayuh constituency “is unquestionable” because BN still practised the spirit of consensus.
He said contrary to claims made by outsiders, Anthony Nogeh Gumbek, SPDP’s pick for Mas Gading, enjoyed strong ground support and this was evident from the big turnouts at all events organised.
“The (13th general) election will be held soon yet there are still people saying this and
that to disparage us,” he lamented at a BN gathering at Kampung Segong, Singai, on Saturday.
that to disparage us,” he lamented at a BN gathering at Kampung Segong, Singai, on Saturday.
“But we can confidently tell you that Anthony Nogeh is the only name submitted to the BN headquarters as candidate for Mas Gading, and this seat is rightfully for SPDP to contest.”
Balang was alluding to a news report published in a national tabloid recently in which a state minister was said to have downplayed SPDP’s chances of winning and instead promoted Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe.
He was also referring to ongoing attempts to get Dr Tiki nominated as a direct BN candidate. Dr Tiki is part of an informal grouping dubbed by media as ‘Group of Five’ comprising the five elected representatives sacked by SPDP more than a year ago for gross insubordination.
Meanwhile, SPDP supreme council member Michael Siten said only SPDP gets to nominate the candidate for Mas Gading based on what the Chief Minister had said during the party’s triennial general assembly in Bintulu last year.
“All talks of Datuk Dr Tiki contesting again are just rumours. The Mas Gading seat is rightfully allocated to SPDP and only SPDP gets to choose the candidate,” said Siten, who is also SPDP Tasik Biru chairman.
Nogeh, in his speech, expressed his gratitude to PBB and SUPP for openly supporting him.
Dr Tiki’s candidacy in Mas Gading mere rumours — SPDP
Borneo Post on March 16, 2013, Saturday
SIBU: SPDP has brushed aside as rumours the talks that Mas Gading incumbent Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe would be nominated as a Brisan Nasional direct candidate to defend the seat.
SPDP deputy secretary-general Paul Igai said yesterday they needed to counter the rumours to prevent them being used as a tool to go against the nomination of SPDP’s choice.
“Otherwise, it (the rumour) will confuse the people, prompting them to place one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake. We don’t want this to happen. And the thing is the principle of BN has always been that the nominee should be a BN member. So, priority is given to the party’s nomination and very importantly, (the candidate) is a member of our party,” he said.
It is understood that the BN Club had also staked its claim on Mas Gading, recommending Dr Tiki as BN candidate for the seat.
The BN club was set up by Dr Tiki, assemblymen Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie (Tasik Biru), Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran (Marudi),Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau) after they were shown the door by SPDP.
Igai said SPDP had called for a press conference here on Thursday to spell it out clearly that Anthony Nogeh was the party’s choice for Mas Gading and this should be respected.
On the challenge posed by DAP, Igai preferred to take one step at a time. “Let’s us sort out our matters first and we have the cooperation of the BN component parties to deal with the common ‘enemy’,” he stated.
At a media conference in Kuching last December, DAP Sarawak secretary Chong Chieng Jen announced that Mordi Bimol would spearhead their campaigning there (Mas Gading).
PKR and STAR are also said to be keen to put their respective candidates in Mas Gading.
Who is the state government full minister in this meeting using his powers and influence (and maybe money as well) to deny SPDP candidate?
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