Sikie denies 300 PRS members in Kakus resigned

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A group of PRS Kakus division members announcing quitting the party.

SIBU: Assistant Minister of Native Laws and Customs Datuk John Sikie Tayai yesterday refuted the allegation of about 300 Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Kakus division members leaving the party.

“This is because only a few (of them) are actually PRS Kakus division members, while some are not PRS members at all.

“So, their resignation does not impact PRS Kakus division,” said Sikie, who is also PRS Kakus division chairman.

He added that the PRS Kakus division has more than 3,000 members currently.

Sikie, who is Kakus assemblyman, noted this group had all the while been against him and the party.

“Even in the last TDC (PRS triennial delegates conference), they were against me. All this while, they were not with me and PRS, especially during the 14th General Election (GE14).

“It is nothing new to me. So, I am not worried about that. Because they are not on the same boat with us and do not support the party’s ideal/struggle. Better they leave,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted.

On Tuesday, it was reported that about 300 PRS Kakus division members announced they were quitting the party, citing loss of confidence in the leadership of president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing.

According to a source, the group’s next course of action was not immediately known.

Meanwhile, PRS Kakus division deputy chairman Tuai Rumah Kinseng Jelian explained that their decision to leave the party was because they were not satisfied with Masing’s action in the selection of party candidates during the recent 14th General Election (GE14).

“We, members of PRS Kakus division today unanimously announced to quit the party, having lost confidence in the party leadership under Tan Sri Dr James Masing,” he said at Rumah Nuari, Arip, Selangau.

Also present were PRS Kakus division deputy women chief Tuai Rumah Dora Lani and PRS Kakus division deputy youth chief Pajih Mawang.

According to Kinseng, the formula used by Masing during GE14, where the parliamentary candidate needed the support of state assemblymen, had proven a failure and irrelevant.

“This Masing’s formula has a self-interest motive and has never been implemented by any political party.

“The defeat of BN candidate (for Selangau) Rita Insol – Masing’s choice – has proven the weakness and lack of support from the people in the Selangau constituency towards Tamin assemblyman Christopher Gira Sambang and Kakus assemblyman Datuk John Sikie Tayai.

“This also showed both assemblymen concerned were not influential in Selangau,” he added.

At the same time, Kinseng informed that PRS Kakus division, wanted Masing to resign as party president and to take responsibility for the defeat of BN candidates represented by PRS.

He reiterated that their decision to quit PRS was because they did not agree with Masing’s leadership and his crony which had resulted in BN’s failure to retain Selangau parliamentary seat.

“We have also lost confidence in John Sikie for supporting Masing and eventually caused Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun to not  being picked to contest in GE14,” he explained.

It was recently reported in The Borneo Post that PRS members in Senadin were resigning from the party as they had lost confidence in the leadership of party president.

In a statement, PRS Senadin wanted Masing to tender his resignation as president of the party for his ‘mistakes’ in tackling internal issues, which resulted in the party losing three of its parliamentary seats.

Branch chairman and former political secretary to chief minister, Richard Wil Uban, had said the decision was made during a meeting of PRS Senadin special committee on May 15 at the PRS service centre in Pujut 7, Miri, which was chaired by him.

In the GE14, PRS lost three out of the six seats it contested. The lost seats are Julau, Selangau and Lubok Antu. Still, PRS won Sri Aman, Hulu Rajang and Kanowit.

On April 22, Entulu and four other PRS supreme council members, namely former Lubok Antu member of parliament Datuk William Nyalau Badak, Nyempah Sabot, Adriana Chumang Nyambong and Edward were sacked from the party.

They were sacked for disobeying the party over its candidacy list for the general election and also for ridiculing as well as putting the party into disrepute.