By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Aug 27: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) will not be participating in the Sarawak Liberation Movement (SLM) ‘ceramah’ on which is scheduled to be held on Aug 28 in Siburan.
Its party president Voon Lee Shan said that despite his moral support for the event, neither him nor his party will be associated with what the organisers have planned.
“I had read the SLM Ceramah advertisement on Facebook and chatrooms (listing my name) as one of the speakers and let me say that PBK is not against issue of independence as brought up by this group of people which includes SLM, PBDSB (Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru) and also STAR (State Reform Party).
“The reason (for PBK’s non-involvement) is that there must ground rules set first among all the parties who are fighting to put forward the issue of independence,” he told reporters at a press conference at his office here today.
Voon saiad that PBK in its quest for state independence will do it in accordance with domestic and international laws.
“We are not to infringe any law of the country and I already made it clear to the divisional chief of police and senior police personnel here that we do things in accordance with the law.
“So this group of people, what they do is just put my name there without setting the grounds that I need.
“The ground rule is that all the speakers must come in terms, among others, not to ridicule any government, not to say something seditious, not to abuse the permit given by the authorities and also to maintain the security during the ‘ceramah’,” Voon elaborated.
“PBK does not wish to associate itself with any unregistered group in political endeavour in the quest of independence.
“I have inquired about one of those involved in organising this ;ceramah; and one of the so-called organisations or societies involved in organising this or participating in the ceramah is not registered and approved by the Registrar Of Society (ROS).
“It is the main reason I cannot be associated with it because if the authority may take action against them, it will affect the reputation and the good name of PBK,” he said.
He also feared that it could cause the de-registration of his party.
“Other than that, I give these people my moral support for what they are doing. Please do it correctly in accordance to the law and we don’t want any trouble at all with the authorities,” he said. — DayakDaily
