‘Ugak gets PM’s nod’

by Peter Sibon,

FOR THE ALBUM: Masing (fifth left) receiving a ‘parang ilang’ from tuai rumah Wong (fourth right) in the presence of Ugak (third right), Elvis (fourth left) and other community leaders.

Consent from Najib means Hulu Rajang will see a new face in coming polls

KAPIT: It’s confirmed. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has consented to PRS fielding Wilson Ugak Kumbong in Hulu Rajang in the coming general election.

This revelation by PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Masing on Saturday finally cleared a long-drawn confusion over who would be fielded by the BN in the polls.

While Masing had announced several months ago that his private secretary Ugak was the sole nominee for Hulu Rajang, Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Billy Abit Joo continued to blaze the trail to garner support for his (Abit) renomination as Najib, being the national BN chairman, has the final say on who gets to contest.

“Recently, when I met the prime minister and told him about fielding Ugak in Hulu Rajang instead of Abit, he (Najib) consented to our nomination,” Masing told a large crowd attending a meet-the-people-session cum ‘ngiling bidai’ at Rumah Wong Lubuk Buing in Baleh.

His revelation was met with a loud round of applause as many longhouse folk had pressed Masing to clear the air which had lingered in this huge and tough-terrain constituency for the past six months.

“The (PRS) election committee, which is made up of the president, secretary-general, Youth chief and Wanita chief, had decided to retain our five incumbents, but will get a new face for Hulu Rajang.

“After careful consideration and deliberation, we decided that Wilson Ugak Kumbong should be fielded as our candidate for Hulu Rajang as he had been the election director of operations for Datuk Billy for five times and as my election director of operations for seven times,” Masing said.

He stressed that Hulu Rajang is a BN seat allocated to the PRS so the party had the right to choose the best candidate to ensure it retain the seat for the BN.

Masing, who is also Minister of Land Development, said he was confident that Ugak would be able to win the seat as he had many followers in Baleh and Belaga – the two state constituencies which make up Hulu Rajang.

Ugak, 50, who recently obtained his degree in communications, is from Baleh while his wife comes from a prominent family in Punan Bah, Belaga.

“The reason for PRS to drop Datuk Billy is nothing personal or racial. The reason is because he has been the MP for five terms, and that he has reached his political plateau.

“As Hulu Rajang is a unique constituency where Baleh is predominantly Iban with some 12,000 voters and Belaga, a predominantly Orang Ulu area with some 8,000 voters, we need to make some kind of understanding that if the current MP is an Orang Ulu as in the case of Datuk Billy, then after his turn we need to get someone from Baleh, who is an Iban, so that we will be fair to both races.”

Masing, who is also Baleh assemblyman, urged Abit to listen to the advice of the PRS leadership, and not to remain adamant about his chances of being re-nominated.

“He should continue to work and serve the people, and disburse allocations to the people until his term expires. The allocation for the people belongs to the people, and it does not belong to him.”

At the gathering on Saturday, Masing announced an allocation of RM7,000 for the JKKK of Rumah Wong Lubuk Buing, and another RM4,000 for its women wing.

One of the highlights of the evening was the pledge by 30 community leaders, including pemanca, penghulu and tuai rumah, to support Ugak in the coming polls.

Among those present were Ugak, Kapit District Officer Elvis Didit and heads of government departments.