KUCHING, April 23: Party Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDS Baru) is opening its doors for the five former Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) leaders who were expelled last night (Sunday).
In a press statement today, PBDSB invited Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun, Datuk William Nyallau Badak, Nyempah Sabot, Adriana Chumang Nyambong and Edward Kurik who were sacked by PRS for insubordination.
PBDSB election director Rapelson Richard Hamit, who is also the party’s youth chief accused PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing of being undemocratic and fracturing unity within PRS.
“Strong people don’t put others down. They lift them up. What he (Masing) did to them is unacceptable as a leader. He has killed the democracy and unity within the party as in the past (the now defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak or PDBS).
“History has repeated itself where Masing has again betrayed the Dayak for his own survival. Unlike Masing’s PRS, our party does not belong to a single entity but belongs to every single one of its members,” said Rapelson.
He said PBDSB supreme council members had agreed to the suggestion of accepting the five sacked from PRS to join PBDSB.
“Entulu and Nyalau should leave their comfort zone and join PBDSB as they are also former members of the defunct PBDS back in the day. We are one Dayak family. No one can be sacked or terminated for being too vocal about speaking the truth. This is the democratic right of every citizen,” Rapelson said.
On a related matter, Rapelson said it was “ridiculous” for PRS youth chief Datuk Snowdan Lawan to say that in PRS, it was up to the boss to decide who should be appointed to a post or dropped from a post, just like in a private company.
“Snowdan’s comment was utterly ridiculous by comparing PRS to a private company. The presidential seat is based on votes, same as how any candidate is elected to be the MP or ADUN of the people. Masing will not be the president if not because of its (PRS) members,” he said.
He said due to the “constitutional difference” between the setting of a company and a political party, they are monitored by different bodies — Companies Commission of Malaysia and Registrar of Societies (ROS).
“Being the president of an organisation, every decision is based on the interest of its members and the party’s development and also its image as a whole. The president is never the boss, unlike a company’s owner.”
He said the appointment of Snowdan to be an assistant minister as an assemblyman was the decision of the Sarawak Chief Minister while the decision to decide on candidates for the upcoming 14th General Election (GE14) is in the hands of the caretaker Prime Minister.
“As for this national election, PRS is under the BN (Barisan Nasional) coalition and the BN president is not Masing but the Prime Minister of Malaysia. The final decision maker is the Prime Minister; same scenarios also for PBB (Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu), PDP (Progressive Democratic Party) and SUPP (Sarawak United Peoples’ Party).”
“Unlike PBDSB, our president Cobbold John can decide on party candidacy for both national and state elections,” Rapelson added.
Rapelson also pointed out, that Masing who always reminded others not to “lawan taukey” (‘fight the boss’) was now doing it himself.
“The thing which is quite funny to most about the actions by Masing, it was he who always told off everyone with his infamous quote ‘jangan lawan taukey’, but he himself (Masing), seems to be doing otherwise,” said Rapelson. — DayakDaily
