OPAR assemblyman Ranum Mina has turned down an overture made for him to defect to Sarawak’s ruling pact, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

The offer was made by a senior vice-president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) for Ranum to dump Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).

The three-term Bidayuh assemblyman, who first won the seat on a Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) – Barisan Nasional (BN) ticket in the 2006 state election, was one of six assemblymen who quit the party following an internal tussle.

“That choice (to leave) was already clearly before me six years ago, when I decided to leave SUPP-BN and joined PSB,” Ranum said in response to PBB senior vice-president Michael Manyin’s statement on Monday that “the door is still open” for Ranum to join GPS.

“Truth be told I am glad I left BN. With the benefit of hindsight that decision made six years ago was the correct decision,” the former army major said.

Ranum said he “will swim and sink with PSB”.

With his tongue in cheek, he turned round to invite Manyin to leave GPS and join PSB.

“I am both tickled and flattered to be invited by my friend and ex-comrade in Sarawak BN, Michael Manyin, to leave PSB and return to the ‘right path’ i.e to GPS.

“I feel honoured because the invitation was extended by Manyin, a senior member of PBB,” he said in a statement.

Ranum said since Manyin did not state which party in GPS he could join should he accept the invitation, he said he assumed that it was to PBB, the lynchpin in GPS.

“PBB must have recognised my strength and appreciated my service in Opar much more than by my ex-comrades in SUPP.”

The Opar constituency is largely made up of Bidayuhs of the Jagoi Bratak and Salako Rara dialectical groups.

Ranum is from the Salako Rara group. They are among the smallest ethnic groups in Sarawak, numbering slightly more than 12,000.

The majority reside in the Lundu-Sematan areas in the southern end of the state. – December 17, 2020.