KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) will work together with Sara-wak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) to defend Kanowit constituency in the next general election.
 
As far as Larry Sng — a faction leader in the crisis-ridden PRS is concerned, — this close cooperation among the various Barisan Nasional (BN) components is the best way to win Kanowit.

Sng, also Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department, said he believed issues in regards to the constituency would be resolved in due course by the State BN.

Avoiding suggestion that SPDP and PRS are both claiming Kanowit, Sng said: “We will work closely with SPDP on this matter but let BN leaders decide.

“As far as we are concerned, at end of the day, PRS, SPDP and other BN components will work together,” he told reporters after meeting pro-tem committee members of PRS Kota Sentosa Division at Wisma Bapa Malaysia complex here yesterday.

The other State BN components are Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP). As far as Sarawak politics is concerned, the situation in Kanowit is quite peculiar.

The seat has been said to belong to PRS by virtue of the party’s status as the successor of the now defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS).

But its incumbent, Aaron Ago Dagang, is SPDP supreme council member.

Aaron opted to join SPDP after being partyless for quite sometime following the deregistration of PBDS.

The Sng faction of PRS, however, is amenable to an SPDP representation in Kanowit, believing that the party led by Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation Dato Sri William Mawan Ikon is capable of retaining the seat for the BN.

The Sng faction is also amenable to the proposed merger of the two multi-racial political parties.

The other PRS faction is led by Land Development Minister Dato Sri Dr James Masing.

Yesterday, too, Sng said his faction had not yet finalised their list of re-commended candidates to stand for the BN in the next general election.

He said: “I cannot comment on the matter of candidacy just yet because this has to go through a process whereby first, we have to consult the Chief Minister and Prime Minister on it.

“At party level, candidacy will be handled by an election committee headed by myself. As far as our position is concerned, we have only one group and will also retained all seats and win all seats.

I am not being overconfident but I believe people are behind PRS.” 

He said PRS would only nominate as candidates individuals who enjoy good rapport with grassroots supporters, have strength on the ground and very loyal to the party.

In the numbers’ game now, PRS has six parliamentary seats namely Sri Aman, Hulu Rajang, Selangau, Lubok Antu, Julau and Kanowit.

SPDP has four parliamentary seats namely Mas Gading, Baram, Saratok and Bintulu.

When it comes to Members of Parliament (MPs) and incumbents, PRS has four in Jimmy Donald, Billy Abit Joo, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Joseph Entulu Belaun and Jawah Gerang.

SPDP has five, namely Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe, Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan, Jelaing Mersat and Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

Former PBDS treasurer cum Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum, the Julau MP, is still without a party even though PRS and SPDP are opening their doors to him.

PRS was formed on Oct 21 2004, the same day PBDS was deregistered for the second and final time.

The 22-year-old PBDS, torn apart by protracted in-fighting between Dr Masing’s faction and another camp led by PBDS president Dato Sri Daniel Tajem, was first deregistered on Dec 5 in 2003.

But a few months after its registration, PRS also had its own leadership tussle.

As a consequence of this internal leadership crisis, PRS now has two sets of almost everything like the office of president, head office and supreme council.

Masing was elected as president by his own faction at their own faction election in Sibu on Dec 2, 2006 while Sng was elected by his group here (Kuching) on March 30 last year.