Bersatu sacks Sarawak trio as it maintains ties with GPS

Bersatu has sacked three members who are contesting the upcoming election in Sarawak as independents, saying it remains firm in its decision not to field candidates in the state polls.

Sarawak Bersatu chairman Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian said the memberships of Siki Balarik, Ricky Enteri and Ismawi Muhammad had been automatically terminated.

Siki is contesting the Belaga seat, Ricky in Bawang Assan and Ismawi in Muara Tuang.

Siki is Hulu Rajang Bersatu chief while Ricky is a youth activist from Bawang Assan. Ismawi meanwhile is Kota Samarahan Bersatu division chief.

“Now there are no Bersatu members contesting, they have already had their memberships automatically terminated according to Bersatu’s constitution,” Jaziri told Bernama.

He said the three had been given time and space to withdraw from the contest, and that their membership had been terminated as they did not.

“Bersatu is firm in its stand not to contest in the Sarawak election,” he added.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin had said on Nov 27 that his party would sit out the Sarawak election out of respect for the wishes of the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition.

Muhyiddin also said that Bersatu had chosen to stay out of the contest because it believed GPS had the ability to win and that GPS had supported the Perikatan Nasional-led federal government when he was the prime minister.

Another Bersatu member, Ali Biju, had initially intended to defend his Krian seat as an independent candidate at the polls on Dec 18.

But this caused unhappiness in GPS which accused Bersatu of going back on its agreement not to field candidates in the state election.

Ali subsequently announced that he would withdraw from the race, and pledged his full support for the GPS candidate in Krian.

Ali won the Krian seat on a PKR ticket in 2011 and 2016, and had aimed to defend it against Friday Belik of GPS and Musa Dinggat of Parti Sarawak Bersatu.