PBB wants to know real issues affecting Chinese voters - Dr Stephen Rundi

Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi Utom

KUCHING: PBB, the backbone of the state Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, is still unsure why Chinese voters sided the opposition in the April 16 polls.
State BN and PBB secretary-general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said as such the PBB meeting on Saturday had resolved to solve this conundrum.
He added that whatever the reason might be, the BN would not sideline the Chinese community.
“Bumiputera voters showed undivided support to the BN (in the recent polls), but the party would not be complacent nor sideline the Chinese community.
“We (the meeting) also took into consideration other parties like SUPP when discussing the state election results. Though SUPP recorded a not-so-good performance, we want to learn what the real issues are which made the Chinese voters swing so much,” he told reporters after state BN chairman and PBB president Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud chaired the meeting at the party’s headquarters here.
Dr Rundi, who is also Assistant Minister of Public Health, pointed out that PBB had not only retained all its 35 seats but the vote-majority also increased in many constituencies during the 10th state election.
However, he said, the party would work harder to strengthen BN as a whole.
On the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), he said PBB had made a stand not to prevent PPP from spreading its wings to the state.
“What can we do if they want to open up branches here? It is their decision.”
To a question, Dr Rundi said it was not about approval as far as PPP was concerned.
“It is not a matter of giving the green light. We leave PPP to the people of Sarawak, whether to accept the party or not.
“PBB will not try to prevent them from coming to Sarawak and that is the decision made. If they say we are trying to stop them, that is wrong.”
PPP could come up with any initiatives it wanted and PBB would not be distracted, he asserted.
“They can do whatever they want but as far as we are concerned we need to strengthen our party. We want to see Sarawak BN remain strong and in full support of the federal BN. We want our prime minister to win comfortably (in the 13th general election) with the help of Sarawak.”