By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, July 6: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth chief Dato Snowdan Lawan has clarified that the differences within the party have been settled, with the Supreme Council to decide on the fate of the positions.
He likened the party’s rumoured power struggle to a football match scenario where there are two teams competing on the field to win the match.
“But at the end of the day, you go to the (changing room) and you ‘huha-huha’ (are conversing in good terms),” he told reporters after officiating the prize-giving ceremony for DayakDaily’s ‘Gastronomy and I: My Favourite Dish’ Writing Competition 2.0 held at Imperial Hotel here today.
He further explained that differences of opinion within a political party is common, stating that the party members would sit down and negotiate to find a consensus.
“Last time when Tan Sri James Jemut Masing (former president) passed away, I think it’s an open secret that there are few leaders who wish to fill in the presidency post or lead the party.
“But at the end of the day, we come into a consensus. We talk, negotiate, and discuss properly so that everybody is in there (position); those that are without posts, we appoint them,” he added.
At the same time, Snowdan, who is also the Sarawak Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts (MTCP), stated that the PRS Supreme Council will decide on the positions in the party during the party’s next Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC).
“We have to talk among our Supreme Council members on what the party wants to do with the position whether there is a contest or no contest, or whether there is some negotiation just to give way to some of the party members to accommodate everybody.
“For PRS, there are about 30 positions. Sometimes we have to discuss among ourselves just to make sure everybody is in. That is why some of the posts are appointed posts,” he elaborated.
However, he hoped that the party would hold an open contest for its main posts in the next TDC to uphold the democratic system and ensure that they have a strong leadership to lead the party.
The previous PRS’s TDC was held on April 23 and 24, 2022 where the party has retained its status quo for its supreme council members.
Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum has been the party’s president since the demise of Masing on Oct 31, 2021. — DayakDaily
