KUCHING, Feb 14: After waiting almost eight fruitless months for the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to approve its registration, the Parti Sedar Rakyat Sarawak (Sedar) pro-tem committee decided to take up the issue with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Led by its pro-tem president Dato Othman Abdillah, the five-member delegation held a one-hour discussion with Dr Mahathir at his office in Putrajaya yesterday.
In a press release, Sedar said the meeting touched on the plights of Sarawakians.
“Sedar impressed upon the prime minister that the party had been initiated to represent Sarawakians who yearned for a fresh local voice to champion Sarawak’s interests,” said Othman.
Sedar, he elaborated, decided to meet Dr Mahathir on this specific issue (registration) as it was deeply concerned that further unjustified delays would jeopardise the core democratic principles of free choice and freedom of expression, for which he himself had stood up for in the times of the previous administration.
“We are pleased to inform Sarawakians, in general, and specifically our fast-growing number of supporters that the Prime Minister understood that it is the constitutional and democratic rights of the people to form a political party,” he said.
Othman also claimed Dr Mahathir recognised Sedar’s efforts to get registered and assured that he was committed to removing unnecessary bureaucratic hindrances to the functioning of the open democratic system.
“We, therefore, wish to convey to all Sarawakians that we are confident that Sedar will be successfully registered soon. Lastly, Sedar is appreciative of the prime minister’s willingness to receive our delegation,” he concluded. — DayakDaily
