SPDP Peninsula bound or Hogwash












KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 18, 2009) : Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) treasurer-general and Youth chief Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing confirmed speculation that his party intends to spread its wings to Peninsular Malaysia, but says MCA need not fret.

Tiong told China Press and Sin Chew Daily this on Monday in response to reports which quoted MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat as warning party delegates that some people were planning to set up a party to replace or even destroy MCA with the help of a party from East Malaysia.
Ong’s remarks, which was made at the briefing on Sunday, raised speculation that he was referring to SPDP, whose Bintulu MP, Tiong, had been actively involved in canvassing support for the Barisan Nasional (BN) in recent by-elections in the peninsula.
"Why should Ong Tee Keat make a big fuss over my party’s intention to expand to the peninsula as SPDP, being a multi-racial party, has nothing much to do with MCA, which is a Chinese-based party?"asked Tiong, the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club chairman.
"What is the big problem for SPDP to spread wings to the peninsula, as we (SPDP and MCA) are all BN component parties?
"Does it mean that only parties from the peninsular can expand to Sabah and Sarawak and not vice versa?" China Press quoted him as asking.
He pointed out that the Dayak-majority SPDP intends to go national because it wants to offer an option to voters who are not happy with the existing parties in the peninsula.
"We want to give voters an additional option under the BN banner; can this be seen as destroying the MCA?" asked Tiong who is embroiled in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) fiasco and the RM10 million donation controversy.
He said there is no reason why MCA, a party with 60 years of solid foundation and well established in all the peninsula states, should be afraid of a small party like SPDP.
"If Ong Tee Keat is paranoid (about SPDP’s intention to expand to the peninsula), how will he be able to lead MCA’s charge against the Opposition in the next general election?"
Anyway, he said, the party had met only once to discuss its expansion plans and there was nothing concrete yet.
He said those who want to know more details about the plan should ask his party chief Datuk Seri William Mawan Ikom.
However, Tiong clarified that he would not fight for the chance to spearhead SPDP’s expansion to peninsula.
This is not the first time SPDP has expressed its intentions to spread its wings to the peninsula.
In May this year, Mawan said the party was amending its constitution to allow branches to be set up outside Sarawak.
On another note, Tiong revealed to China Press that a person with close connection with the Port Klang Authority had once told him that someone high up in the government wanted to "finish him off" whatever it took.
He said he was told someone had tried to look for evidence in the PKFZ investigation report to nail him, and flew into a rage when it was pointed out there was none.
On the RM10 million donation which he claims to have made to the MCA, Tiong dared Ong to face off with him on what happened to the money.

So Tiong wanted to spread his wings to Peninsula Malaysia when he said those who want to know more details about the plan should ask his party chief Datuk Seri William Mawan Ikom., but his chief now has back track Tiong's dreams .
















SPDP not going national, says Mawan

KUCHING: The Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party has dismissed news reports quoting treasurer-general Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing as saying that the party was going national.
Party president Datuk William Mawan said the party would not spread its wings to the peninsula.
“As far as the party is concerned, we have not given any approval to go national,” Mawan said when commenting on the reports in the Chinese media.
Mawan, who is also State Social Development and Urbanisation Minister, said the party had formed a club in Johor and Federal Labuan to serve the people.
However, he said this did not mean that the party would spread its wings to the peninsula.
The party’s supreme council was expected to discuss the news reports at its next meeting.
Mawan said if the party had such a plan, it would have consulted state and Federal Barisan Nasional leaders.
SPDP, formed in 2002, replaced Sarawak National Party in the Barisan Nasional.