Nuclear scientist among five endorsed by MoCS
Stephen TiongPublished: Mar 8, 2011 10:37 AM | Updated: Mar 8, 2011 10:44 AM
A nuclear physicist, Professor Dr Idwar Bakarudin, is one of the five potential candidates of the Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) endorsed by the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) today.
A nuclear physicist, Professor Dr Idwar Bakarudin, is one of the five potential candidates of the Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) endorsed by the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) today.
Idwar, 57 (left), a former member of the Malaysian Nuclear Programme, is tipped to contest in Satok in the upcoming state elections, facing political heavyweight Abang Johari Abang Openg, deputy president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) and Sarawak Housing and Urban Development Minister.
Apart from being involved in the nuclear programme, Idwar had also been teaching in local universities, including Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) in Kota Samarahan.
The others endorsed by MoCs are university lecturer Mashor Hossen, businessman Ali Hossen Abang, former bank general manager Mohammed Said Ghapor and former deputy director of Sarawak Customs Department Mura Kadir.
Mashor, 58 (right), is tipped to contest in Simunjan against Assistant Minister of Planning and Resource Management Naroden Majais, Ali in Demak Laut, Mohammed Said in Lingga and Mura in Pantai Damai.
MoCS has already endorsed 11 PKR and DAP candidates for the state elections, which is likely to be held next month.
Five incumbent state assemblypersons from the DAP, including its state chairman Wong Ho Leng (Bukit Assek), Chong Chieng Jen (Kota Sentosa), Violet Yong Wui Wui (Pending), Ting Tze Fui (Meradong) and Chiew Chin Sing (Kidurong), have already been endorsed by MoCS.
MoCS did not endorse Voon Lee Shan (state assemblyperson for Batu Lintang) as the DAP may not re-nominate him.
Among the potential candidates from PKR endorsed by MoCS are its Sarawak chief Baru Bian (Ba’Kelalan), Abang Zulkifli Abang Engkeh (Saribas) and Mengga Mikui (Tamin).
While eye-brows are not likely to be raised at MoCS endorsement of PKR and DAP candidates, the same cannot be said of the Barisan Nasional’s candidates.
MoCS’ endorsement of the likes of former Kuching City South mayor Song Swee Guan and Salleh Jafaruddin will surely not go down well with the people.
Salleh (left), a former deputy education minister, is endorsed by MoCS on the grounds that he “still possesses the drive and stamina for politics” at the age of 70 years.
“He is worthy of the support from his own Melanau community,” insisted MoCS leader Francis Siah at a press conference today.
Biggest surprise of them all
The biggest surprise of them all is the endorsement of Song, who is not in the best of financial health, as a Barisan Nasional candidate.
“It is not a joke for MoCS to endorse him,” Siah insisted when questioned about the rationale for endorsing the former Bandar Kuching member of parliament.
Siah (right), however, admitted that not all the 15-member MoCS vetting committee agreed to the endorsement of Song.
“He is the forgotten hero of Kuching and Sarawak United People’s Party. This man had almost single-handedly saved SUPP in Kuching from the opposition during his time in public service.
“He is about the only senior SUPP leader who had suffered in politics,” Siah asserted.
He said Song’s long years of community service and generosity far outweighed his personal weaknesses.
The others from the BN endorsed by MoCS are Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Idris Jala, Housing and Urban Development Minister Abang Johari Openg, Land Development Minister James Masing, Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office Fatimah Abdullah, and Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office Larry Sng.
“The vetting committee members were unanimous in endorsing Idris, Abang Johari, Masing and Fatimah,” Siah explained.
The endorsement for Sng, who is without a party after he was sacked from Parti Rakyat Sarawak in 2008, received majority support from the committee members.
“He is still very young and has many more years ahead of him to contribute to Sarawak. He is also known as a hard-working elected representative. He deserves to be re-elected,” Siah added.
‘Idris can serve in post-Taib era’
On the endorsement of Idris, Siah said MoCS felt that he should come back and serve his home state and contribute to its development, preferably in the post-Taib Mahmud era.
“He may not want to serve under Taib, but he can serve Sarawak after Taib is no longer the chief minister,” he said.
According to Siah, Idris (left) has the necessary credentials to be a good administrator and would fit in nicely as a member of the state cabinet.
“We feel that he has done his national service and should now seriously consider state service,” he said.
Siah said the vetting committee had decided not to endorse two BN state assemblypersons “for obvious reasons”.
He said all names for endorsement by MoCS vetting committee were submitted by MoCS members and its affiliates, both in Sarawak and peninsular Malaysia.
“We only endorse potential candidates who are worthy of the people’s support,” he said.
“The endorsement means that it is a public declaration of the MoCS and we call on the people of Sarawak to vote for them, if they are nominated as candidates in the elections later.
“It also means that we will campaign for them, and we will ask our affiliate non-governmental organisations to support them.
“We will support them financially if we have the means,” Siah added.
Idwar, 57 (left), a former member of the Malaysian Nuclear Programme, is tipped to contest in Satok in the upcoming state elections, facing political heavyweight Abang Johari Abang Openg, deputy president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) and Sarawak Housing and Urban Development Minister.Apart from being involved in the nuclear programme, Idwar had also been teaching in local universities, including Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) in Kota Samarahan.
The others endorsed by MoCs are university lecturer Mashor Hossen, businessman Ali Hossen Abang, former bank general manager Mohammed Said Ghapor and former deputy director of Sarawak Customs Department Mura Kadir.
Mashor, 58 (right), is tipped to contest in Simunjan against Assistant Minister of Planning and Resource Management Naroden Majais, Ali in Demak Laut, Mohammed Said in Lingga and Mura in Pantai Damai.MoCS has already endorsed 11 PKR and DAP candidates for the state elections, which is likely to be held next month.
Five incumbent state assemblypersons from the DAP, including its state chairman Wong Ho Leng (Bukit Assek), Chong Chieng Jen (Kota Sentosa), Violet Yong Wui Wui (Pending), Ting Tze Fui (Meradong) and Chiew Chin Sing (Kidurong), have already been endorsed by MoCS.
MoCS did not endorse Voon Lee Shan (state assemblyperson for Batu Lintang) as the DAP may not re-nominate him.
Among the potential candidates from PKR endorsed by MoCS are its Sarawak chief Baru Bian (Ba’Kelalan), Abang Zulkifli Abang Engkeh (Saribas) and Mengga Mikui (Tamin).
While eye-brows are not likely to be raised at MoCS endorsement of PKR and DAP candidates, the same cannot be said of the Barisan Nasional’s candidates.
MoCS’ endorsement of the likes of former Kuching City South mayor Song Swee Guan and Salleh Jafaruddin will surely not go down well with the people.Salleh (left), a former deputy education minister, is endorsed by MoCS on the grounds that he “still possesses the drive and stamina for politics” at the age of 70 years.
“He is worthy of the support from his own Melanau community,” insisted MoCS leader Francis Siah at a press conference today.
Biggest surprise of them all
The biggest surprise of them all is the endorsement of Song, who is not in the best of financial health, as a Barisan Nasional candidate.
“It is not a joke for MoCS to endorse him,” Siah insisted when questioned about the rationale for endorsing the former Bandar Kuching member of parliament.
Siah (right), however, admitted that not all the 15-member MoCS vetting committee agreed to the endorsement of Song.“He is the forgotten hero of Kuching and Sarawak United People’s Party. This man had almost single-handedly saved SUPP in Kuching from the opposition during his time in public service.
“He is about the only senior SUPP leader who had suffered in politics,” Siah asserted.
He said Song’s long years of community service and generosity far outweighed his personal weaknesses.
The others from the BN endorsed by MoCS are Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Idris Jala, Housing and Urban Development Minister Abang Johari Openg, Land Development Minister James Masing, Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office Fatimah Abdullah, and Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office Larry Sng.
“The vetting committee members were unanimous in endorsing Idris, Abang Johari, Masing and Fatimah,” Siah explained.
The endorsement for Sng, who is without a party after he was sacked from Parti Rakyat Sarawak in 2008, received majority support from the committee members.
“He is still very young and has many more years ahead of him to contribute to Sarawak. He is also known as a hard-working elected representative. He deserves to be re-elected,” Siah added.
‘Idris can serve in post-Taib era’
On the endorsement of Idris, Siah said MoCS felt that he should come back and serve his home state and contribute to its development, preferably in the post-Taib Mahmud era.
“He may not want to serve under Taib, but he can serve Sarawak after Taib is no longer the chief minister,” he said.
According to Siah, Idris (left) has the necessary credentials to be a good administrator and would fit in nicely as a member of the state cabinet.“We feel that he has done his national service and should now seriously consider state service,” he said.
Siah said the vetting committee had decided not to endorse two BN state assemblypersons “for obvious reasons”.
He said all names for endorsement by MoCS vetting committee were submitted by MoCS members and its affiliates, both in Sarawak and peninsular Malaysia.
“We only endorse potential candidates who are worthy of the people’s support,” he said.
“The endorsement means that it is a public declaration of the MoCS and we call on the people of Sarawak to vote for them, if they are nominated as candidates in the elections later.
“It also means that we will campaign for them, and we will ask our affiliate non-governmental organisations to support them.
“We will support them financially if we have the means,” Siah added.
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