KUCHING, June 20: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) is considering suing The Borneo Post for allegedly spinning party president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing’s speech in the daily’s Facebook page yesterday.
PRS secretary-general Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum told a press conference that the headline from The Borneo Post’s Facebook post ‘Should Sarawak use up all its state reserves before the next general election?’ had caused some repercussion against Masing not only among Facebook users but among some members of the state cabinet, too.
“The party is considering taking legal recourse (against The Borneo Post). We are looking into that angle.
“It was their Facebook posting captioned with the words ‘use up’ when in fact our party president (Masing) did not say that,” he told reporters after the party’s Supreme Council Meeting at its headquarters in Jalan Wan Alwi here this afternoon.
Salang explained that the context under which Masing suggested the state government spend its reserves was not to empty it, adding it would be ludicrous to think that the state government could spend it all within the three years before the next state polls.
“Firstly, we don’t have all of it in cash form as some of the reserves are assets, which could not be spent. What we are talking about is instead of not touching the reserves, we spend some of it to provide all the basic facilities to the people who needed them,” he added.
Salang said a member of the state cabinet reacted by suggesting that Masing resign as party president.
“For all these, we are also hoping to have an appointment with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg soon to let him know what we feel, not questioning his leadership, but the reason why our president suggested the single multiracial party to be formed and why he suggested the state government spend some of the state’s reserves.
“That is because we have so many needs to be done on the ground. If we don’t speak up and spend some, somebody else will.”
Asked if the party would be pursuing legal actions not only against The Borneo Post but also against political leaders who made statements against Masing on the matter, Salang said the party would be consulting its legal team first.
“We have not come to that yet. At the moment it is just a consideration,” he said. — DayakDaily
