By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Oct 19: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) secretary-general Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum is the only person nominated for the post of deputy president, when nomination closed today.
Party president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing said in all likelihood, Salang would be the next party deputy president during the party’s election scheduled to be held during the its Extraordinary Delegates’ Conference (EDC) tomorrow.
“His name (Salang) is the only one when nomination closed today,” Masing told DayakDaily.
The post of deputy president fell vacant following the dismissal of Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun just before the 14th general election, along with four other supreme council members.
Entulu, a former federal minister, subsequently joined Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
Salang lost his bid for the deputy president’s post to Entulu during the party’s triennial delegates’ conference (TDC) in 2016.
On the EDC, Masing said it was called to streamline party matters and to ‘create clear direction for the party in facing the coming state election’.
“The EDC will empower the supreme council to decide where the party wants to go in the coming state election. This is very crucial as we do not know whether Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will be registered on time for the coming state election or not. So, we have to be prepared,” he stressed.
On the post of secretary-general, Masing kept mum even though the appointment is the prerogative of the president.
“But even as party president, I can’t reveal who the new party secretary-general will be as I can only make the announcement after the party election tomorrow,” he explained.
But a party insider said current deputy secretary-general Dato Janang Bungsu would most probably be given the trust.
“He (Janang) is young and smart, and he is a very likeable person in the party,” said the party insider.
Janang, in his 40s, is an engineer by profession. He is a successful businessman and own a business consortium. He was awarded the Panglima Setia Bintang Sarawak (PSBS) award, which carries the title ‘Dato’, by the Governor in conjunction with his official birthday in Sibu recently.
Meanwhile, Masing, who is also a deputy chief minister, strongly denied rumours that one of the party’s three MPs would be joining PKR.
The three PRS MPS are Datuk Masir Kujat (Sri Aman), Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang (Kanowit) and Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong (Hulu Rajang).
“They can speculate whatever they want to, but as far as we are concerned, the three are still intact with the party. So too with our assemblymen,” added Masing. — DayakDaily
