By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Aug 29: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak has refuted the allegation that a substantial number of its members resigned from the party and follow former chairman Baru Bian and former PKR Stampin chief See Chee How to join Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).
PKR Sarawak chairman Larry Sng said Baru and See just took 150 members with them to join PSB.
“For the record, the Keadilan Sarawak membership base stands currently at 80,000 members.
“Some claim that Baru took 70 per cent of Keadilan Sarawak with him to join PSB. We can refute this as being blatantly untrue.
“In reality, around 300 members left the party over the last six months (half of whom joined Bersatu with former PKR members Willie Mongin and Ali Biju).
“Therefore Baru and See only took around 150 members, which is less than 0.2 per cent of Keadilan Sarawak’s registered membership,” he said in a statement.
Sng said in the same period, PKR Sarawak’s membership increased by 1,000 new members, which was three times the number who left the party.
In recent months, Sng added PKR Sarawak has undergone a period of leadership change caused by the departure of Baru, Ali, Willie and a few of their colleagues.
Sng, who is also Julau MP, said as with any leadership restructuring, the past few months were challenging for the party.
However, he added that the transformation has provided an important opportunity for the party to reconnect with its grassroots members who reflect the party’s struggle for social justice and people empowerment.
Besides, he said PKR Sarawak also welcomed many new women and youth members as the party recognised that it is vital to build a vibrant leadership base that is reflective of the communities the party serves.
“We have also renewed our commitment to championing the rights and needs of our local communities focusing on vital issues that Sarawakians are facing today.
“This includes the urgent need for Native Customary Rights (NCR) land reform, clean water and electricity, safe roads, quality healthcare and education, digital connectivity and solving citizenship issues faced by Sarawakian children,” Sng added. —DayakDaily
