Joshua (second right) with grassroots leaders from Bakong rebuking Asing over his statement against Asfia.
MIRI: Grassroots leaders in Marudi have slammed Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) Marudi chairman Alexander Asing for questioning State Legislative Assembly Speaker and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) permanent chairman Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar’s assessment on the state constituency.
They said Asfia was right when saying that Marudi assemblyman Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran had been serving his constituents well.
A former longhouse chief and former SPDP leader who is now Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) Nabor chairman Joshua Dungkong, said Asfia’s observation was based on facts gathered directly from the grassroots.
“It is Asing who is presumptuous to accuse the permanent chairman of PBB as an outsider who does not know what is happening on the ground and the performance of our elected representative when he has already made four visits to Marudi and Bakong,” he said.
Joshua was responding to the statement by Asing, saying that it was presumptuous of Asfia to declare Entri as having an impeccable record when it came to serving the constituency when Asfia visited Marudi last week.
Joshua said Asfia had the democratic right to say what he thought as correct and was not sending a wrong message as alleged.
“How can Asing send a correct message to Barisan Nasional (BN) when he himself is not even an elected representative, looking from the outside of the Dewan and knowing nothing about the standing of Entri as an elected representative?” he asked.
In a statement on Saturday, Asing had labelled Asfia as an outsider, accusing him of not being objective in saying that Entri was a good assemblyman with an impeccable record.
Concurring with Joshua, Tuai Rumah Salin from Marudi questioned Asing’s level of support in Marudi.
“What makes him think that he could get the BN ticket and win the election?” he asked.
“The majority of the grassroots are with Entri; he can and will deliver the seat of Marudi to Barisan Nasional in the next state election.”
Both Joshua and Salin pointed to the roads, rural water and electricity supply as well as other development projects throughout the constituency due to Entri’s efforts.
Moreover, Joshua advised Asing to let Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem choose the most suitable candidate to represent Marudi in the next state election.
Entri is the secretary-general of the newly-formed Teras and a member of the state cabinet, while SPDP is insisting that the Marudi seat belongs to them.