Political temperature rising in Marudi
MIRI: The battle for support in Baram has gone up a notch as Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) makes its foray into this rural constituency, with former Marudi assemblyman Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran leading the charge.
A launching ceremony for PSB Baram Zone will be held at Rumah Joshua Bukong at Sungai Mallang, Bakong this Saturday where a big crowd is expected.
Party president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, deputy president Datuk Dr Jerip Susil and Youth leader Dr Johnichal Rayong Ngipa are among the leaders expected to be present at the launching ceremony. Wong is Second Minister of Finance and Minister of International Trade and e- Commerce while Dr Jerip is Assistant Minister of Transportation.
PSB, formerly known as United People’s Party (UPP), is on an active recruitment drive and expansion this year.
It has roped in former leaders of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) component parties Parti Rakyat Sarawak ( PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), and Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras).
At the unveiling of the new signboard for PSB’s head office in Pending earlier this week, Wong disclosed that it had received at least 19,000 new applications to join the party.
He said with a new party name and logo, PSB is now more broadly based – both urban and rural – and it is a multi-racial party serving all communities irrespective of race, religion, culture and background.
PSB raised eyebrows last month when Sri Aman MP and PRS vice president Datuk Masir Kujat announced that he had quit PRS to join PSB.
Other political big names joining PSB that day included former MPs from PRS Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun and Datuk William Nyallau Badak, as well as Entri and Teras acting president Banyi Beriak, and others whom are former local leaders of PRS. PDP is not taking the latest development lying down and it is holding a big function several kilometres away at a longhouse in Sungai Selepin in Bakong.
GPS flags would be flying at Sungai Selepin this Saturday when Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah, GPS secretary-general and Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and other elected representatives from GPS component parties and other leaders are there in a show of strength.
The programmes include presentation of house repair projects to 20 longhouses, MRP projects to 20 village committees, handing- over of appointment letters to three new Pemanca, six new Penghulu, new Tuai Rumah ( longhouse chiefs) and Musang King seedlings by the GPS state government.