Sarawak PKR chief named Works Minister
KUCHING: Sarawak PKR chairman Baru Bian is one of the lawyers who has contributed much to causes that are close to the hearts of the people, especially cases relating to native customary rights (NCR) land.
He received his primary education in the interior areas of Sarawak at Long Tellang, Long Semadoh and Long Napir until the early 1970s before continuing his secondary education in Limbang.
After becoming a temporary teacher in SM Kerajaan Medamit, Limbang, the Lun Bawang youth pursued his tertiary education at Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam, pursuing a Diploma in Law and subsequently, obtaining a Bachelor of Laws from Melbourne University, Australia, in 1986.
Baru, 59, later became a trainee at the Messrs Rashid and Lee firm, Kuala Lumpur, and was admitted to the Malayan Bar as a lawyer and solicitor.
It was during that time he began to venture into the political arena as an ordinary member of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS).
His involvement in politics started in the state elections in 1991, which saw him being defeated in the Lawas parliamentary seat.
The following year, he set up the Messrs Baru Bian Advocates and Solicitors here.
In 2004, he resigned as PBDS supreme council member to contest as an independent in the Ba’Kelalan state byelection following the death of its incumbent Datuk Dr Judson Sakai in a helicopter crash.
But he lost to a Barisan Nasional candidate.
In facing various political challenges, he contested on a Sarawak National Party ticket for the Ba’Kelalan seat in 2006 and was once again beaten.
Two years later, Baru joined PKR as an ordinary member and in November 2009, was appointed as state party chairman.
He was more successful in the 10th state elections in 2011 and 11th state elections in 2016.
During both polls, he defeated the Barisan candidate from Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party, Willie Liau.
In the last general election, he contested the Selangau parliamentary seat and became an MP for the first time.
Yesterday, Baru was appointed Works Minister.