By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Feb 10: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) has called on Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to end the practice of appointing community leaders through a government-controlled selection committee and instead allow communities to choose their own leaders.
In a statement, its president, Voon Lee Shan, said the approach of a government-controlled selection committee is inconsistent with the spirit of the Federal Constitution, which recognises and safeguards native customary laws and practices in Sarawak.
He said that for generations, community leaders among the native peoples were chosen by their own communities and tribes, in accordance with customs that have guided social order, leadership legitimacy, and communal harmony.
These customs, he added, are not mere traditions—customary law is law, and it forms an integral part of Sarawak’s legal and cultural foundation.
“Governance must respect the will of the people and the customs that are constitutionally protected.
“We call upon the GPS government to immediately halt the appointment of community leaders through selection committees; respect the long-standing customary processes of native communities; and restore the right of communities to select their own leaders freely and transparently.
“True democracy begins at the grassroots. Sarawak’s future must be built on respect, consent, and constitutional integrity,” he said. — DayakDaily
