SPDP Youth supports merger with PRS

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SPDP Youth wing chief Robert Ayu (third left) with the exco lineup meeting the press after their meeting.

SPDP Youth wing chief Robert Ayu (third left) with the exco lineup meeting the press after their meeting.

BINTULU: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) Youth wing fully support the resolution passed by the party’s supreme council in Miri on Aug 16 to work towards a merger with Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS).

This was announced by SPDP Youth chief Robert Ayu at a press conference after chairing the Youth Exco meeting at SPDP’s office at Parkcity Commercial Centre on Saturday afternoon.

However, Robert said since both parties had yet to form committees to work towards the merger and with the state election very near, SPDPYouth wing felt that it was better to focus more on the ‘merger of the mind’ agreement between SPDP, PRS and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) at the moment.

“We have been working very well with PRS and SUPP through the ‘merger of the mind’ so we should focus on this cooperation to strengthen the state Barisan Nasional for the coming election.”

“The presidents of the three parties have a good relationship with each other and it should be enhanced from time to time for the interest of BN in the state as a whole.”

He stressed that all three BN component parties under the ‘merger of the mind’ agreement would work together with Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) the backbone party of the state BN to secure a resounding victory for the ruling coalition in the next election. Robert added that the Youth wing would leave the decision on the proposed merger to the party’s supreme council and called on the members of both parties to support their respective presidents in working out a formula for the merger.

SPDP Youth wing also resolved to state its support Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s fight for more autonomy from the Federal government especially on education. Robert added that SPDP Youth also supported Adenan’s call for more emphasis on English in the education system.

“We in SPDP will give full support to the emphasis on the usage of English language in schools and want every government department to be headed by a Sarawakian in the state,” he said.

Touching on the 11 new seats to be created in the delineation exercise, Robert said SPDP should be given the Samalaju and Mulu seats as they are within the boundaries of Bintulu and Baram Parliamentary seats which are held by SPDP.

“We have strong grassroots support in both areas because our president Datuk Seri Tiong King is the MP of Bintulu while Anyie Ngau our vice president is the Baram MP.” Robert pointed out that SPDP had inherited the traditional grassroots support of Sarawak National Party (SNAP) as SPDP is an offshoot of the now defunct party.

The SPDP Youth wing also decided to call on the party leadership to consider fielding some of their members in the next state election.