• IMPROMPTU DISCUSSIONs: Mawan (centre) talking to Tiki after meeting the Prime Minister. In the background is Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Communication Datuk Joseph Salang.

The party used to have only one deputy minister in the federal cabinet.

Mawan said apart from the two deputy ministers, the multi-racial SPDP also had one senator.

“We are grateful that we are given the posts of two deputy ministers and one senator.

“Now it is for us to play our role and work closely with the other BN components,” he said after his meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi here.

He, however, said prior to the meeting with Abdullah, SPDP had consulted him on the party’s request for bigger representation in the federal cabinet.

“We did say that (talk about more representation). I believe that we have a lot of consultations as far as Sarawak and Pak Lah is concerned. This (yesterday’s meeting) is probably the fifth time we have consulted each other on this matter,” he added.

On the apparently low Dayak representation in the federal cabinet, Mawan said: “I used to raise that (issue) a few times before this but at the same time we were always being mindful of not to over-exert ourselves.”

“We (SPDP) have to consider the (views of) whole of Malaysia. Other parties are also talking about this (low representation).

“If we (SPDP) appear to be over-reacting or over-exerting, it can backfire,” he stressed.

“There are some ways to express concern over this but the fact that we (party) have four MPs, including two as deputy ministers and that both are Dayaks, I think we are fine,” he said.

Mawan said he believed another two BN components from the state were having ‘pretty fair’ Dayak representation in the cabinet.

SDPD deputy ministers are its senior vice president Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan (Ministry of International Trade and Industry) and its vice president Jelaing Mersat (Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs).

Previously its sole and first deputy minister was vice president Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe (Ministry of Rural and Regional Development). He has been dropped to make way for either Sagan or Jelaing in the cabinet.

The party’s other two MPs are Dr Tiki and treasurer cum Youth chief Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

Its sole senator is Pau Chiong Ung.

On his meeting with Abdullah, Mawan said they discussed issues which were crucial to both and which might also determine the outcome of the state election - due in 2011.

“We have already gone through the (March  parliamentary election, but as far as Sarawak is concerned we will be facing the coming state election (in two years’ time),” he added.

He said the less-than-ideal result of the general election nationwide should be treated as a “wake-up call” even in Sarawak which some described as one of the bastions of the BN. (The other bastion is Sabah)

SPDP will be taking steps to get itself in a more prepared state for the Sarawak polls.

He said during their meeting the prime minister was receptive and accommodatiing towards the party’s strategies and tactics.

“Since we are a component of the BN, I told him that our conviction is that, if the BN is strong then we will be strong.

“We also told him that we are happy as a party and since the party’s inception six years ago, we have been very peaceful. We have secured 100 per cent victory for the BN in every election and this is due to the good BN leadership,” he added.