Now, PKR leaders in Sarawak also quit party

DELIGHTED: Mawan receiving membership application form from former PKR Roban division secretary Abang Mokhtar Abang Zulkifli (right) at SPDP office. — Bernama photo

KUCHING: The ‘dump PKR’ phenomenon seems to have spread from Sabah to Sarawak.

A day after 11 Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) divisional leaders quit the opposition party in Sabah and expressed support for the Barisan Nasional (BN), a PKR branch chairman and secretary in Sarawak have resigned to join the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

Gani Eli, who has been chairman of the PKR Roban branch in Sarawak from 2011, and Abang Mokhtar Abang Zulkifli claim to have taken along with 108 other members and supporters, thus allegedly crippling the branch.

Gani led the PKR deserters in submitting their applications to join SPDP to the party’s president, Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, here yesterday.

“PKR seems to have no direction following the (13th) general election. We were left in the lurch,” Gani told a news conference at the handing over of the application forms at the SPDP headquarters.

He said more PKR members and supporters from the Roban branch were expected to switch their support to the BN.

Abang Mokhtar said he realised that the opposition party could not do anything to improve the livelihood of the people.

“PKR is not the answer to our future. We believe SPDP can bring about development for the people,” he said.

Mawan described the group’s decision to quit PKR as good news for the BN.

“They have chosen to go mainstream and want to cooperate (with the BN) by joining the SPDP,” he said.

He also said that he felt that the SPDP, in spite of the challenges it had faced over the last few years, had never lost its appeal and continued to attract new members.

“We never condemn people but have always been ready to extend our friendship and to get people together,” he said.

In Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, leaders from 11 of the PKR’s 25 divisions in Sabah announced their resignation from the party. They were from Kudat, Kota Marudu, Kota Belud, Sepanggar, Pensiangan, Beluran, Kinabatangan, Batu Sapi, Silam, Kalabakan and Semporna.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who held a news conference after meeting the group, said there would be more resignations from PKR in Sabah. – Bernama