By Karen Bong and Chris Bishop
KUCHING, Aug 9: Could lawyer and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Engkilili branch chairman Roy Gingkoi be picked as the nominated candidate to represent Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in the Lubok Antu parliamentary constituency in the upcoming 15th General Election (GE15)?
PRS president Datuk Joseph Salang today disclosed that the party is now concentrating on getting Roy to go down to the ground for exposure and to canvass for support in the constituency.
“We have just asked Roy to go down to the ground and get himself exposure and the people will come back to tell us whether Roy is suitable or not to be their elected representative,” he said in a press conference after a meeting at the PRS Headquarters in Jalan Wan Alwi here today.
Currently, the Lubok Antu seat is held by independent MP Jugah Muyang after he won in the 14th General Election in 2018 with a 1,059-vote majority. He defeated two other candidates—the late Robert Pasang Alam of PRS and Nicholas Bawin Anggat of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)—in a three-cornered fight.
At the meeting today, Salang received letters from PRS Batang Ai and Engkili branches objecting to Jugah rejoining the party at all cost.
Meanwhile, responding to speculation of a split in the PRS Engkilili branch with two factions claiming the branch chief’s post, Salang clarified that there is only one committee which is led by Roy.
“This is because some time back, PRS appointed Roy to be the interim chairman until the party’s TDC (Triennial Delegates Conference), whereas in the case of former deputy chairman Tuai Rumah Bangkong (Mawing), he had declared his departure from party to join PSB (Parti Sarawak Bersatu).
“With that it is clear that he is no longer a member of the party as provided under the party’s constitution when a member has made public pronouncement on his departure that was regarded as official. As such he cannot speak nor represent the party be it at the division or any level of the party,” he explained.
This came following a news report in a local daily that there may be two different factions in PRS’ Engkilili division with one group claiming that Bangkong was the chairman after a triennial general meeting (TGM) held at Engkilili bazaar on March 13, 2022, while a second group supporting Roy insisted that he was the legitimate chairman on the basis that their TGM was also called on the same date and had been recognised by party headquarters.
According to the report, Roy, who is the son of former police senior assistant commissioner Datuk Gingkoi Seman Pancras, had served as PRS Engkilili chairman since 2018 after former Lubok Antu MP Datuk William Nyalau Badak was sacked by the PRS top leadership. — DayakDaily
