PRS insists on new rep for Pelagus

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KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Pelagus division has come out strong by insisting that Pelagus constituency needs a new elected representative from within the party.

Its chairman Philimon Nuing pointed out this rural area needs a new person with better ideas to bring about more progress and development.

He said the incumbent Larry Sng, who is currently partyless, has not done anything much for Kapit which is the nucleus centre for Pelagus.

According to him, Kapit has instead benefited more through the assistance rendered by Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi and Land Development Minister Dato Sri Dr James Jemut Masing, who is assemblyman for neighbouring Baleh.

“For instance with regards to road access, what we know is that it is through Datuk Alex (Nanta Linggi) and Dato Sri James (Masing) that the alternative road project (for Kapit) was approved,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Nuing, who is Kapit Walikota, said the people in Pelagus were also disappointed that Sng was not vocal during the recent ‘logjam’ incident which saw the Rajang river, which flows past Kapit, clogged with timber.

He pointed out that the people had high expectations of Sng due to his position as assistant minister with three portfolios in the state administration.

But nothing great was done so far, with Nanga Merit losing its prominence as a sub-district, he stressed.

Nuing, himself a former Pelagus assemblyman during his years with PRS predecessor, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), was the latest person to insist that only a PRS man could get to be nominated to defend Pelagus.

This came after several groups made public their support for Sng to become a direct Barisan Nasional member in order to defend the seat as a direct BN candidate.

Masing, who is also PRS president, said on Friday that these so-called supporters of Sng represent the minority with a personal agenda.

The party’s information chief Wilson Nyabong released a statement on Friday which said:  “Acceptance as a BN direct member does not mean that the person will be accepted as a direct BN candidate in the election.”

Nyabong, a political secretary to the chief minister, also called on PRS members not to be unduly worried because the BN leaders were aware of the various pitfalls of amending the BN constitution to accept associate and affiliate members.

“For instance, if direct BN membership allows members to contest as BN candidates, then it will open a venue for political dissidents or rejects into BN.

“It will be perceived as a back door entry into BN for those who wish to be candidates but cannot go through the normal channel and this will create more problems than it solves,” he had said.

Sng became the youngest state assemblyman in 2001 after winning Pelagus on a BN-PBDS ticket.

The previous incumbent was his father, Dato Sng Chee Hua.

Although he defended the seat as a PRS member in 2006, Sng (Larry) was sacked from the party following insubordination a year later, and PRS has repeatedly stated that it had closed its door on him.

Chief Minister and State BN chairman Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said on Thursday that Sng must re-apply to become a direct member in order to remain in BN.

Sng, who normally did not want to comment on his political status, posted a comment on his Facebook page on Thursday to say that he would heed Taib’s advice concerning his political future.