By Lian Cheng
SIBU, April 24: As Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) is a Dayak-based party, its acting president Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum reminded senior leaders and members to be mindful of what happens in the party as it affects public perception about the Dayak community.
He said PRS is a rural-based movement as its membership comprises mainly Dayaks although it is a multiracial political party.
Following that, its approaches and requests to the Sarawak government are quite in consonance with its roots.
“The strength and solidarity in the party will show that the Dayaks are mature in managing their own organisation.
“If the opposite happens in the party then the general perception is that we can only form a ‘one president party’. Let’s not forget that public perception is important and let us prove how wrong the naysayers are about PRS,” said Salang.
According highest regard to vice-president Datuk John Sikie Tayai and other party leaders, Salang said the party has arrived at its Fifth Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC) in the spirit of comradeship.
He revealed that Sikie had received enough support to be nominated to contest the party’s presidency, but the Minister in Premier of Sarawak Department stepped back to avoid a party rift following a contentious lead-up to the TDC.
“Before I sit down I wish to place on record my special thanks and appreciation to YB Datuk John Sikie Tayai for being such a statesman and graciously declining to contest for the presidency although nominated by the Divisions.
“I thank all other leaders who have in one way or another sacrificed to avoid creating cracks in the party.
“We have all won and let us from now move forward to make PRS a party that looks after all members and be fun to be associated with,” said Salang during the opening ceremony for the PRS Fifth Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC) at a local hotel here.
He highlighted to the members that party leaders had all decided that the party is bigger than any individual or even group interest.
“We have decided to divide the responsibility of managing the party in a way it is fit to be a worthy partner in GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) and ready to face the coming PRU15 (15th General Election),” said Salang.
He said PRS has been under the media spotlight since the untimely departure of its late founding president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing where there were all kinds of speculation about the party.
Moving on, he said, the party will learn how to manage the media properly and carefully so that there will be no confusion as to what is actually happening in the party. — DayakDaily
