Baru confirms defending Ba Kelalan seat under PSB

MIRI: Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian has confirmed that he will be defending his seat in the state election under the banner of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).

He said this when meeting supporters from Trusan Tengah and Trusan Laut in Lawas last Thursday, while also informing them that PSB has so far confirmed 22 candidates to stand in the next polls.

“The party (PSB) is going to contest all 82 state seats. Of the 82 seats, we have confirmed candidates for 22 seats,” he said.

Baru, who is also Selangau MP, arrived in Lawas on July 1 to meet grassroots supporters who had resigned from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) following his decision to quit the party in February during the country's political crisis which ended with a change in the federal government.

A total of 1,783 persons – mostly former PKR Lawas members – have joined PSB to date.

During the meeting, Baru, who was formerly PKR Sarawak chairman, explained to supporters the reason he left PKR as well as on his subsequent decision to join PSB.

“The need to defend and preserve the rights of Sarawakians, in particular the Dayaks, inspires me to continue my fight and PSB shares this aspiration,” he said.

He also pointed out that the political landscape in the country was very dynamic and any wrong move would give negative impact on the stability of the country, especially to Sabah and Sarawak.

To a question during the meeting, Baru stressed that rumours on social media that PSB was being backed by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri as well as business tycoons were baseless.

“PSB does not have any ties to other political parties including Gabungan Parti Sarawak. Our priority now is to win the next state election,” he added.

Baru first won the Ba Kelalan seat in 2011 and defended it in the 2016 state election. He was Works Minister prior to the change of federal government.