BN must be aggressive to recapture Miri parliamentary seat: Abang Johari

MIRI: Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) components must go all out to recapture Miri parliamentary seat, once a BN stronghold but lost to the opposition for the first time in 2013, in the coming 14th General Election (GE14).
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg (pix) said with all four BN component parties Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) now fully recovered after being embroiled in internal conflicts, chances of winning back the Miri parliamentary seat seem to be bright.
"We must win Miri parliamentary seat so that we can develop together for the future generation," he said at the Chinese New Year Dinner organised by the SUPP Miri and Sibuti parliamentary liaison committee last night.
As such Abang Johari, who is also the state BN chairman, said the Miri community must think rationally during GE14 as it would determine the future of Miri as well as the development of Miri division.
"All four leaders in Sarawak BN component parties were Sarawakian, we will protect the state rights based on the constitution," he added.
Meanwhile SUPP Miri and Sibuti Parliamentary liaison committee chairman Datuk Lee Kim Shim said for the GE14, SUPP has formed an election committee with the election machinery ready to move once the campaigning starts.
"Together with our component parties PBB, PRS and PDP we will make sure that we win back the Miri parliamentary seat," he said.
On another issue, Lee who is state Assistant Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture hoped that the state government would study the possibility of turning Miri river located at Pullman Hotel to Kampung Wireless to be turned into a waterfront that could attract tourists similar to the Kuching Waterfront.
He also appealed to the Chief Minister to consider making Miri City as the headquarters of Sarawak-owned oil and gas company, Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros).
"Miri has been the centre for oil and gas industry for over hundreds of years, it is hoped that Petros will play an active role in developing the oil and gas industry in Sarawak, particularly in Miri, creating more jobs and opportunities," he added. — Bernama