Cobbold heads Sarawak Baru’s presidential council
KUCHING: The four-component Sarawak Baru coalition has set up its presidential council with Cobbold John as its first pro tem chairman.
Sarawak Baru has designed and agreed to a party logo and it is now in the midst of applying for registration as a valid political party.
Cobbold, who is also Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) president, said the other pro tem office bearers are vice chairman Lina Soo who is president of State Reform Party Sarawak (Star), vice chairman Banyi Beriak (secretarygeneral of Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak or Teras), vice chairman Munan Laja (president of Sarawak Workers Party or SWP), secretarygeneral Julius Enchana (PBDSB Youth secretary), and treasurergeneral Chieng Lee Ping (Star treasurer).
“The pro tem presidential chairman post will rotate among the four presidents of PBDSB, Teras, Star and SWP. This will continue until registration with the Registrar of Societies is finalised,” Cobbold said.
Registered ‘members’ of Sarawak Baru are members of the four component parties.
Sarawak Baru has also agreed that each of the four parties undertakes tasks they are very familiar with or specialised in.
“For instance, Star is assigned to study and compile issues relating to Malaysia Agreement 1963, Sarawak’s rights including over oil and gas resources, Territorial Sea Act 2012, and Petroleum Development Act 1974.
“Soo, who is also a rights activist, is very familiar with these issues.
“We believe that she and her team can handle these issues well,” Cobbold said.
PBDSB has been assigned to handle issues relating to native customary rights (NCR) land, Dayak Adat and other Dayakrelated issues.”
SWP is given the task of tackling issues regarding workers’ rights, interests and well being in Sarawak, especially in the oil and gas industry, oil palm plantations and construction sites.
“SWP is also tasked to study the Sarawak Labour Ordinance, which we feel has many outdated provisions that need to be updated or amended to meet the current and future demands and challenges in the labour market,” he said.
Cobbold said Teras has been asked to look at and address issues relating to infrastructure development in Sarawak, particularly in the rural areas.
With the setting up of the presidential council and the special working committees, Cobbold hoped Sarawak Baru would be flexible and make sure that the four components are focused in their vision and objectives.
He is confident that Sarawak Baru would pose a strong challenge to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Pakatan Harapan Sarawak and/or Barisan Nasional in the next state election.