KUCHING: Local football legend Awang Mahyan Awang Mohamed yesterday rubbished talks of him joining the opposition.
Awang Mahyan: 'I do not betray friends'.
He said speculations of him standing on an opposition ticket in the coming state election as 'wild rumours'.
He stressed that he is loyal to PBB and believed in its struggles. Awang Mahyan is deputy chairman of PBB Batu Lintang.
"This is wild gossiping. None of the opposition parties have even met me to invite me to be their candidate," he said when contacted yesterday.
Awang Mahyan, the coach of the great Sarawak team in the late 1980s, was responding to an article posted in a political blog which claimed he may stand as Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate in Nangka.
The blog also claimed Awang Mahyan was unhappy with certain people in PBB.
Awang Mahyan said the article in the blog was 'a sick joke' and was a propaganda concocted by 'some people' who were out to confuse the people.
He also stressed that he would not want to challenge Nangka assemblyman and PBB comrade Datuk Awang Bemee Ali Basah whom he described as his friend.
"I will throw my support behind Awang Bemee. I do not betray friends," he assured.
"Being popular in sports does not mean a boost in popularity for PKR. Sports and politics are two different fields," he said.
This is not the first time Awang Mahyan is linked to the opposition. During the recent Sibu by-election, the DAP adopted the 'Ngap Sayot' battle cry which was coined by Awang Mahyan.
Although DAP eventually won the seat, Awang Mahyan was furious with the opposition for not getting his consent to use the battle cry.