Sempurai rubbishes report of over 400 members leaving PRS
SIBU: Parti Rakyat Sarawak has rubbished reports that over 400 members of PRS Bukit Assek Division have left the party.
PRS Dudong Division chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai clarified yesterday that as of Dec 3, 2017, PRS Bukit Assek Division has 640 members.
“So, not all members have resigned together with PRS Bukit Assek Division chairman Duli Sanggau. The photo of a group with fewer than 100 people quitting from the party (carried in the media) is a far cry from the alleged 400 members said to have resigned,” Sempurai reiterated.
He was responding to the alleged mass resignation of PRS Bukit Assek Division members led by Duli on Saturday.
Duli had cited loss of confidence in the party’s leadership for prompting them to leave. They also called for party president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing’s resignation.
On this, Sempurai, who is also PRS Supreme Council member, said: “The resigned chairman ( Duli) and members do not have any locus standi to ask party president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing to step down.
“To me, it is akin to you throwing a stone at your enemy during the war and running away.”
Adding on, he said he was not surprised by this group’s move in parting ways with the party.
“To me, the resignation of the division chairman ( Duli) is not a surprise. Those who are disloyal and do not believe in the party struggle should exit in an honorable way without blaming the leaders.
“We believe in democratic process and everybody has the right to join any association and political party of his choice. This freedom of association is guaranteed and enshrined in our constitution.
He said those members who were disloyal to the party’s struggle were a liability to the party adding that there was no place in PRS for those who do not believe in the party’s struggles.
Commenting on certain members who were present at the resignation announcement, Sempurai clarified that Casper Kayong for one was not PRS Bukit Assek Division secretary as he only became a valid member on Dec 3, 2017.
Instead, Sulaiman Kunjan is the division secretary for the term ( 2016- 2019). The division women chief is Meni Ayok and not Edan Manan as reported, he pointed out.
Furthermore, he asserted that Edan is not a valid PRS member as her name is not in the party’s membership list.
“If Edan Manan is a member, it is because she has just joined like Casper Kayong,” he explained.
Sempurai also clarified there was no youth wing in this division. PRS Bukit Assek Division Youth Wing has never been accredited by the party headquarters and the Registrar of Societies ( ROS), he said.
Sempurai added that PRS Central Region, especially PRS Dudong Division and Meradong Division were solidly behind the party president.
“In fact, we have just increased our members through the membership drive recently and the number is increasing.
“Our branch secretary and myself will conduct strict filtering to ensure only those who really support and believe in our party’s struggle will be accepted as members,” Sempurai added.