Masing confirms PRS fielding female candidate
KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) will field a female candidate this 14th general election (GE14), marking a first for a Dayak-based party.
Its president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing said this was in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s call for more women leaders to serve the country.
“In the past, no other Dayakbased party has ever fielded a woman candidate, so basically we are walking the talk and we must bring in women to the hierarchy of the administration,” he said when met after officiating the closing ceremony of ‘PRS Argo Empowerment Programme’ at Damai Beach Resort in Santubong yesterday.
The Deputy Chief Minister also pointed out that the female candidate would be one of two new faces PRS would field in GE14.
Though he declined to reveal their names, he mentioned that both are legal professionals.
“It is not up to me to announce their names but what I can tell you is that one is a prosecutor and the other used to be a legal advisor in Bintulu Development Authority (BDA),” he said, adding that this would also be the first time the party is bringing in legal experts to represent the party.
When asked if Najib would approve his party’s candidates list particularly the two new faces, Masing believed that the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman would give the party his seal of approval.
“I’m confident because in the last two general elections, he never rejected the names of those I’ve submitted.
“Apart from that, the Prime Minister also said he wants to bring in women to his administration, so I’m walking the talk for him,” he remarked.
Masing also expressed confidence that his party would be able to retain all six parliamentary seats allocated to it; namely Julau, Kanowit, Sri Aman, Hulu Rajang, Selangau and Lubok Antu.
“The Chief Minister (Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg) and Prime Minister have never rejected any of our candidates in both the 12th and 13th general election and as a result, we’ve won all of them.
“I believe the same thing will happen this year at GE14. We will retain our seats and give them back to Datuk Seri Najib. This is the third promise I’ve made to him.”
Meanwhile, PRS secretarygeneral Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said as an incumbent of Julau parliamentary constituency, he had been serving his constituents well for the past 18 years.
“As far as I’m concerned, from the moment I’m elected, that is when the walk begins. So even if it’s election period, it makes no difference from any other day.
“That is how I’ve prepared myself for the constituency and I’ve always been very consistent,” he added.
When asked to comment that former state assistant minister Larry Sng had expressed interest to contest in Julau, Salang said it wouldn’t be an issue to him as this is a democratic country.
“We are practising democracy so he is free to exercise that democratic right and voters have the freedom to choose who they want to represent them.”