By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, Sept 28: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) Baru has been deregistered by the Registrar of Societies (RoS) for failing to submit its annual returns since 2014.
Confirming this at a press conference today, party president Bobby William said the deregistration took effect on June 12, this year.
However, none of the current supreme council leaders or members were aware of it until the secretary-general Julius Enchana Jaspher Anco submitted their latest annual general meeting report on Aug 29.
“When I received a call from RoS, it was a surprised for both sides because we didn’t know that our party was officially deregistered.
“RoS said they’ve sent official letters via registered mail to the party registered address in Sri Aman, president Louis Jarau Patrick (address in Sibu) and deputy president James Jalai Gayau (address in Bintulu),” Julius said, as he showed the official documents.
Since the party did not submit their annual returns between 2014 and 2017, all corresponding letters by RoS were addressed to the former PBDS Baru leaders, he added.
When asked how this could have happened, Julius said: “It is only best known by the first and second generation leaders, as to why they didn’t submit their annual reports nor why didn’t they inform us of any letters by RoS.”
He said the current PBDS Baru leaders headed by Bobby is the third generation.
The Dayak based party, an offshoot of the now defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), was registered in 2013 with lawyer Louis appointed as its first president.
In 2016, social activist and businessman Cobbold John Lusoi was elected president in the triennial delegates conference (TDC) on July 30.
Following Cobbold’s death due to a heart attack in March this year, Patrick Anek Uren took over as acting president from March to May.
Bobby, a businessman, was elected as the new president at the party’s TDC on May 18.
“The letter of notice to the party to explain why RoS should not deregister it, dated Oct 10, 2018, and the letter of deregistration dated June 12 this year were all addressed to Louis and James,” Julius explained.
“Upon receiving a call from RoS on the matter, we immediately rushed to the office in Kuching on Sept 23 to seek clarification.
“We flew to Putrajaya the next day to obtain more details from them, including copies of the letters which were sent to PBDSB,” he said, adding that they were grateful to RoS Putrajaya for giving them a copy of the letters.
Julius said they’ve also written a letter of appeal to RoS and Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
“We hoped that Muhyiddin and RoS will consider our appeal and allow us to register back,” he said. — DayakDaily
