Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu fired another salvo at Dayak bloggers today - this time describing them as instigators who “sabong” (pit) BN leaders against each other in the hope of weakening the coalition.

“They are really specialists in that arena - ‘sabong people’” he told a press conference in Batang Ai this morning before starting his campaign for the day.

Dayak bloggers have been very active writing about the ‘weaknesses’ and ‘faults’ of the state government. Recently the spat between Jabu and PRS president James Masing over certain billboards was also highlighted by the bloggers.

batang ai nomination day 290309 01 Jabu who is PBB deputy president was said to be unhappy when he saw that certain billboards did not carry the symbols of other BN component parties. The billboards feature only the PRS symbol and photos of its leaders.

According to a PRS source, Jabu confronted Masing over the matter, asking why other symbols of BN components were excluded. Masing was said to have explained that in certain areas, like Salcra oil palm schemes, the PRS symbol was more effective.

Naturally, this did not go down well with Jabu who had been accused previously of running Salcra like his own private entity.

When bloggers learned of the spat, they highlighted it and even described Jabu as being petty.

Cooked-up stories

However, the deputy chief minister denied that he had any differences with Masing, a cabinet colleague, pointing out that it was he who had proposed Masing to be the director of operation for the Batang Ai by-election.

Advising the people not to read such blogs, Jabu said many of the postings were “cooked-up stories” with no quality.

“They are only interested to ‘sabong’ people and hope that others will turn against the BN,” he said.

taib mahmud alfred jabu pbb prs 011108 On rumours that BN candidate Malcolm Mussen would be appointed assistant minister if he were to win, Jabu said that Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud had never promised any newly elected assemblyperson a cabinet position even when there were vacancies.

“That is not Taib’s style of leadership. He wants the legislators to prove themselves first. Usually he will observe them closely. If he thinks that they are good enough, then he will appoint them,” he said.

But that is not stopping Mussen’s campaigners from telling voters that if their man win, he would be appointed an assistant minister to replace the late Dublin Unting.

Unting was assistant minister (sports and agriculture) before he passed away on Feb 24.