PRS strives to champion rights of Dayaks and rural people — Masing
KUCHING: Highlighting the plight of the rural communities, especially the Dayaks, will continue to be the core struggle for PRS in ensuring that it would deliver all 11 seats allocated to it in the next state election.
Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, who is PRS president, said as a rural-based party, it was its duty to highlight the needs of the rural people especially better road connectivity, better communications, better education and better job opportunities.
“Our core struggle is to seek for equality in all sectors to reflect the real racial composition of the state,” he told The Borneo Post here yesterday, adding that PRS had been solidly behind Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem on the latter’s rural transformation programme.
“With better road connectivity, we would surely have better chance in getting better education; then with better education, of course we would have better chance of getting employed.”
He reiterated that the rural people have been crying for more developments, especially road connectivity, and hoped that there would be more funds for this purpose.
“Then, we also need better connectivity in terms of communications and ICT; otherwise we would continue to be left behind in terms of information, which is vital in today’s world.”
Masing, who is Baleh assemblyman, believed Adenan’s rural transformation policy would enable Barisan Nasional ( BN) government to respond and attend to the needs of the rural populace.
On politics, Masing said PRS was now ready to face the state election, having already identified its 11 candidates.
“Our machinery is ready but we will have to wait until the State Legislative Assembly is dissolved; only then would we shift into high gear.”
PRS is the first state BN component party whose list of candidates has been approved by the chief minister.
The party has been allocated two new seats — Murum and Samalaju — in addition to its traditional nine, namely Balai Ringin, Bukit Begunan, Batang Ai, Ngemah, Tamin, Kakus, Baleh, Pelagus and Belaga.
State BN secretary-general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi has announced that the whole BN machinery was ready to be mobilised in view of the 11th state election, which could be called next month.