PRS keen to field female candidate in coming polls

KUCHING: PRS is keen to field a female candidate in the next general election to reciprocate the loyalty of its female members over the years.

Its president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing is determined to do so against malecentric politics that have been dominating the rural areas.

“I want to have at least one female candidate for the coming general election. There are six areas we can look into. I have identified a few but which one of them, I have not decided yet and that is where the fine-tuning comes in,” the Deputy Chief Minister told The Borneo Post at his office here yesterday.

PRS has been allocated six parliamentary seats; namely Sri Aman, Lubok Antu, Julau, Kanowit, Selangau and Hulu Rajang.

“I am thinking very seriously of a female candidate because they deserve to be around. We are here today not because of men’s support only because women voters also make up 50 percent.

“We are here today because male and female members and supporters worked together. Yet in terms of elected representatives, we do not acknowledge their (women’s) presence. We cannot be male- centric all the time. PRS should not be.

“Therefore, I am serious in putting at least a woman as a candidate. That is the only way we can acknowledge their support,” stressed Masing.

He said most agreed with the notion of fielding a female candidate but there were some who objected because of male- centric politics in the rural areas, which he said needed to be changed.

Taking PRS women chief Dato Sri Doris Brodie, who the party had recommended to be senator, as an example, Masing said immediately after Doris was made senator, she was appointed as deputy speaker of the Senate,

“And she was the first Dayak deputy speaker,” said Masing, while expressing confidence in PRS defending all its seats.

On PRS candidacy, he said BN chairman Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in the past had no qualms about the party’s recommended candidates and had always listened to the party.

“As chairman of BN, he listens to the custodian of the party. He does not question the candidacy suggested because we choose the candidates who can win and are suitable to be the leader in the area. Who else would know PRS better than PRS?” Masing asserted.

He said the party was in “almost ready” mode in terms of candidates, with some fine-tuning needed to complete the full list of candidates.

On another matter, Masing admitted that there were attempts to meddle with the party’s business.

“I don’t allow any outside interference. It is not only from opposition, but within BN, there are also those who wanted to interfere,” he said.

He claimed that they were out to destabilise the party so that they could gain control of the party.

“This is basically politics, I can understand that. It is for those within the party to understand it and defend the party. Don’t let it be a situation where when the outsiders try to disturb us and you who are from the party also try to disturb the party. You have become a trouble-maker within the party and that cannot be allowed,” said Masing, citing PRS former deputy president Larry Sng and his group as an example.

Sng and eight of his supporters were expelled from PRS in 2012 for insubordination.

“I will not tolerate ‘ musuh dalam selimut’ ( enemies from within). We have remained strong until today because whoever wants to make trouble, they will be kicked out such as Larry and his group. That had happened and I will not allow that to happen again,” stressed Masing.