Serian DAP, PKR back call for Bidayuh to be made senator

KUCHING: The Serian branches of Democratic Action Party ( DAP) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat ( PKR) support a call made by a group of voters in Serian for the new federal government to consider appointing a Bidayuh as a senator.

This was mentioned in a joint press statement issued by DAP Serian secretary Edmund John Andrew and PKR Serian chairman Cyril Raymond Langin. Also lending his support to this call is a former councillor from Barisan Nasional ( BN), Robin Mayun.

They stated the BN government has failed to appoint a senator from the Bidayuh community since the country’s independence.

They also said the victory of Pakatan Harapan ( PH) candidates in two Bidayuh-majority seats, namely Puncak Borneo and Mas Gading, had contributed to the overall seats needed by PH to get the majority to form the new government.

However, the group feels that should a senator be appointed from the Bidayuh community, the person in question should come from Serian since the constituency is now under the BN opposition.

They proposed DAP Serian branch chairman Edward Andrew Luwak for the post, stressing that he has vast experience in both public and private sectors.

“Serian is now represented by an opposition member of parliament. Therefore there is a need for Serian to be linked to the central government in order for it to grow and progress in tandem with the other parts of the state,” they said.

They added they would suggest Edward’s name to both DAP Sarawak and the national leadership, as well as to petition to the prime minister to consider the request for a Bidayuh senator.