This is vital in order to safeguard and maintain the existing peace and stability in the ruling coalition, party president Datuk William Mawan said Wednesday night.

Mawan, who is also Social Development and Urbanisation Minister was speaking at the President’s Dinner to welcome the officials, delegates, observers and invited guests of SPDP to the party’s annual general assembly here.

“The interest of the BN should be above other interests. It should be above our personal interest and also above the interest of each coalition member.

“As such, it is imperative that we in SPDP adopt the policy of give and take. Otherwise we will end up quarrelling. And quarrelling is the formula for death. Therefore we must avoid quarrelling at all costs,” he said.

Mawan advised party members not to become chauvinistic and self-centred as they tried to push the party’s interest and continue with the party’s struggle.

Instead, he said, all members should be wary of the feelings, needs, interests and struggles of others so that SPDP members could avoid damaging the cordial relationship and mutual understanding prevalent among BN component parties, particularly in the State BN which is made up of PBB, SUPP, SPDP and PRS.

“When we are chauvinistic, looking at progress only from our narrow angle and restrict to our own interest and struggles, we will cause unhappiness to other party members.

“This will undermine our interests and will also jeopardise our party because we run the risk of getting sabotaged,” he added.

Therefore, he said, SPDP members should not push their own party interests blindly.

“We must fully realise that we have to accept the decision of the BN leadeship, at State and federal levels, and move on to strengthen the BN government together with our ruling coalition partners,” Mawan added.

Touching on the general election, he urged all SPDP members to redouble their efforts to build greater resilience within the SPDP and the BN to ensure all BN candidates would win in their respective constituencies.

“We must not be satisfied and complacent with our current strength.We need to build a larger membership base and win the hearts and minds of voters, particularly now that the general election is getting nearer.

“We must ensure a bigger majority for all our current incumbent MPs - Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (Bintulu), Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe (Mas Gading), Jelaing Mersat (Saratok), Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan (Baram) and Aaron Ago Dagang (Kanowit),” he said.

On the much talked about merger of SPDP and PRS, the party chief said the merger involved many formal processes and hence it would take a long time to materialise.

Mawan also commended the party’s Youth chief Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing for highlighting many social issues of high concern, one of which was the gangsterism issue in Sarawak.

He said Tiong’s efforts in acting without fear or favour to help tackle gansterism problem in Sarawak received solid support, not only from the party but also from members of the public.

“It is exemplary and laudable,” he added.

Mawan also acknowledged the presence of two Gerakan leaders - Huan Cheng Guan (Batu Kawan MP) and Senator Datuk Dr S Vijayaratnam (Plantation Industries and Commodities Parliamentary secretary) at the dinner.