Letter to the Editor
By Prof Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan
Parti Rakyat Sarawak or PRS has decided to hold its triennial delegates conference sometime in October of this year. During the conference, the party will have an election for all positions. This will be a significant milestone in PRS’ history since the passing of its founder president, the late Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing. It will be an important event for PRS moving beyond Masing’s shadow, as it will be the first time the party goes back to ask the grassroots who they will choose to lead their party.
After Masing’s passing in October 2021, deputy president Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum took over the presidency in a compromise reached to preserve party unity. Salang himself had transitioned to deputy presidency after Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun was sacked following his decision to announce himself as a candidate for Selanggau in 2018. However, many within the party also believed that he was sacked because he was eyeing the presidency. His sacking stopped that.
However, according to inside sources, members of the supreme council are divided on whether to have open contests or strike a compromise to prevent division after elections. The deal refers to the position of the president, especially. Although it has been reported that the party election is open, inside sources say that a compromise is still actively being pursued to prevent contest and fear division thereafter.
But what does a compromise mean? Would it mean retaining the incumbent Salang? Could it also mean that factions within the party agreed upon a leader? If so, who could be that ‘compromised’ person agreed to by factions within the party to lead it? In either scenario, it is still a compromise to prevent clashes among various factions. The coveted presidency decides the fates of all lawmakers and their positions in government.
Thus, the compromise is not on who will be agreed upon to lead, but all lawmakers would be trying to safeguard their respective positions. The general election to the Sarawak legislature is due in less than two years. The current term of the assembly automatically ends five years after its first meeting in February 2022. The elections were last held in December 2021.
For now, there is no leading candidate seen capable with ease of taking the position of presidency. None of the party’s lawmakers, including those holding important positions in the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) and Madani governments, have really distinguished themselves from their peers.
They could be described by an Iban adage: “nadai kala didinga kukok” or “enda ditemu pantuk”. This reinforces the earlier sentiment that Masing’s passing left a void too large to fill.
In a recent survey of PRS leadership, its Women leader, Dato Seri Doris Brodie, was seen as the preferred choice by netizen respondents. This is a public perception based on an online survey. She was held in high regard compared to other PRS leaders, but the netizen respondents are not all members of PRS. So, the opinion and perception were not of PRS members who have the authority to give an official opinion and therefore showed the true sentiment of PRS members.
In any case, if the results are taken at face value, the online poll numbers garnered by Doris remain too low to suggest she is the preferred choice to lead the party. She received around 16 per cent, the highest among the candidates, but that amounted to just 88 out of 500 netizen votes. It’s not particularly convincing, and too much shouldn’t be read into it.
Choosing a leader matters as PRS moves forward. When we compare what is happening in PBB (Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu) and SUPP (Sarawak United Peoples’ Party), especially, there are second-echelon leaders prepared.
Should Abang Johari or Professor Sim step down for any reason, there are clear choices available to take over from them. This reflects the well-organised structure of PBB. When Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem passed away, Abang Johari was already in the wings. There was not much contest, and he just glided into the presidency.
Masing did not prepare anyone to take over. He did have an individual in mind, but he was, according to an inside source, uncertain whether ‘that person’ could get the endorsement of other important party leaders.
PRS needs a good and firm leader whose interest lies within the party to lead and bring PRS to the next level. His actions must be motivated by the party’s interest as he is equal to other party leaders and members and is subject only to his party, and by whose mandate the person leads.
As PRS is a component party of GPS, other leaders of component parties must respect its president, and his word should carry the authority in deciding who represents PRS as GPS candidates in elections and government.
Otherwise, the authority of the PRS president is undermined.
Prof Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan is currently a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and a Member of the National Unity Advisory Council.
This is the personal opinion of the author(s) and does not necessarily represent the views of DayakDaily. Letters to the Editor may be lightly edited for clarity.
— DayakDaily
