PBDSB in legal hot soup with latest statement against Baru

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The statement that circulates on WhatsApp group chats.

 

KUCHING: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) has landed itself in legal hot soup following its latest press statement that attempted to tarnish the reputation of PKR Sarawak chairman Baru Bian.

Although the statement did not mention Baru’s name, it alluded to Baru by saying that a lawyer who is also an MP and a state assemblyman must be screened and cleared of any scandal or corruption before he can be considered for appointment as minister in the new Pakatan Harapan federal government.

The statement issued by PBDSB information chief Bobby William stated the lawyer who is from PKR must clear his name because a police report was lodged against him in a native customary rights (NCR) land case.

Baru, who has ticked off the statement as ‘baseless’, said he had been reliably informed that the statement has been sent to the press and posted in several Facebook pages and WhatsApp chat groups, including Ruai Intellectual Dayak and Pemansang Dayak.

Although his name was not mentioned, he said it was clear that the only person who fits the description of PKR lawyer, assemblyman and MP was him.

He explained the press statement from PBDSB was based on a police report lodged on November 22, 2016 by one Nickodemus anak Singgai against him and fellow PKR lawyer, Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How.

“We are aware that PBDS Baru has played up this police report in various social media platforms on several occasions. It is unfortunate that they do not bother to display any professionalism by verifying the truth behind the police report before using it in their attempts to tarnish my reputation, for whatever reason they may have,” he said.

He also mentioned that the statement issued by PBDSB showed that members of PBDSB did not have the courage or conviction to mention his name but resorted to the cowardly act of allusion.

“Since this matter is now in public domain, I will be sending letters of demand to Bobby, PBDSB president Cobbold John, youth chief Rapelson Richard Hamit and any other individuals who are disseminating this defamatory statement,” he said.

On the police report lodged by Nickodemus, Baru said action is being taken against the complainant and his lawyer for defamation and libel, and the matter is now pending in court.

“I would like to point out that the complainant who lodged the report did not bother to pursue the matter with the police, and no charge was ever proferred against me or YB See,” he added.

PBDSB, in the statement issued by Bobby, had called on the new federal government under PH to screen this particular elected representative, and to even delay his appointment until the said NCR case is solved or until this particular elected representative declared and cleared his name.

The statement was issued this morning and had been disseminated in Facebook and WhatsApp.