After a long tussle with the Sarawak Progressive Democratc Party (SPDP), Meluan state assemblyperson Wong Judat has quit the party and is ready to join the Sarawak Workers Party (SWP).

NONE Chinese daily Oriental Daily News reported that Judat (left) had attempted to submit his resignation letter to the party headquarters yesterday, but that staff there refused to accept it.

They claimed the letter should be sent to party leaders, who were not at the headquarters at the time.

Judat then left his letter with the staff and said he would submit a separate letter to the party leaders.

He told reporters that his departure from SPDP is solely due to issues linked to Julau MP Joseph Salang Gandum. Meluan is a state constituency under Julau.

Judat told Berita Harian that his decision is final and that he will contest the Julau parliamentary seat in the next general election on a SWP ticket.

larry sng Oriental Daily News also reported that SWP president Larry Sng (right) has refused to confirm Judat's application to join the party, and that he will respond at the right time.

The SPDP is a member of Sarawak BN, and is led by state Social Development Minister William Mawan.

The SWP was recently formed by a splinter group from another BN partner, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), whose members were disgruntled with PRS president James Masing.

Although SWP has claimed to be a BN-friendly party, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is BN chairperson, has ruled out the possibility of it joining the coalition.

Open criticism

Over the past few months, Judat has been openly criticising Salang, who has also been attacked by Larry's father Sng Chee Hua, who is seen as the hands behind the setting up of SWP.

Judat has been spotted at many SWP events, sometimes even wearing the party uniform.

There was a twist to the situation on July 30 when Judat changed his tune to support SPDP again, after meeting with Mawan, SPDP deputy president Tiong King Sing and BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

Judat's decision to contest Julau - possibly against Salang - may give PKR a better chance to grab the BN stronghold, should there be a three-cornered fight.