KUCHING: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) saw a window of opportunity when Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) expelled five of its supreme council members including Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun and Lubok Antu incumbent Datuk William Nyallau Badak.
PBDSB now opens its door to these sacked PRS leaders.
They were sacked for allegedly putting the party into ridicule and disrepute when disobeying the party selection committee on nominees for Barisan Nasional (BN) candidacy in Selangau, Lubok Antu and Julau in particular.
Entulu is also Selangau MP.
The PRS special committee formed on Sunday night also expelled supreme council member Nyempah Sabot for campaigning in Julau by representing himself as PRS potential candidate to replace incumbent MP Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum.
Two other supreme council members – Edward Kurik and Adrina Chumang – were also sacked for allegedly being in cahoots with Entulu to disobey party decision in not re-nominating him and Nyallau to defend their respective seats for the BN in this coming general election.
“PBDSB welcomes Entulu, Nyallau, Nyempah, Kurik and Chumang to join the Dayak local based opposition party PBDS Baru,” said PBDSB Youth chief Rapelson Richard Hamit, who is also the party’s election director.
“Strong people don’t put others down. They lift them up. What he (PRS president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing) did to them is unacceptable. As a leader he has killed democracy and unity within his party,” he added.
Rapelson referred to the history of the defunct PBDS, where Masing was also involved in a series of upheavals.
“Unlike Masing’s PRS, we in PBDS Baru do not belong to a single entity but belong to every single one of its members” Rapelson stressed.
“PBDSB Supreme Council members had agreed to the suggestion to accept the five sacked PRS members to join PBDS Baru. Entulu and Nyallau should leave their comfort zone and join PBDS Baru as they are also former members of the defunct PBDS back in its heydays. We are one Dayak family. No one can be sacked or terminated for being too vocal about speaking the truth. This is a democratic right of every citizen,” Rapelson added.
“At the end of the day, final approval on BN candidacy still falls upon Sarawak Chief Minister. As for the national general election, PRS is under the BN coalition and the BN chairman is not Masing but the Prime Minister of Malaysia. The final decision maker is the Prime Minister. This scenario applies also to PBB, PDP and SUPP.
“PRS is unlike PBDSB. Our president Cobbold John can decide on our candidacy for both national and state elections,” he pointed out.
“The thing which is quite funny to most is on the actions of Masing. It was he who always puts off everyone via the news media with his infamous quote ‘Jangan lawan taukey’ but he himself (Masing) seems to be doing otherwise” Rapelson said.