Masing dismisses talk of sabotage

KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak ( PRS) president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing has dismissed talks of certain MPs from the party sabotaging the chosen candidates in this election.

Speaking to reporters after the launching of the party’s election manifesto yesterday, he said allegations of sabotage in the print and social media were painted by those who were envious of the party’s unity.

He said the party’s unity was emphasised in the manifesto with the tagline ‘ United We Bargain, Divided We Beg’ printed on the back page, a play of words on the famous phrase ‘United We Stand, Divided We Fall’.

“I just want to assure you that all of us are together - all candidates and the MPs, despite of what you read in the papers and despite what other people, are doing against us.

“They are not having a clash with each other even though many would like to paint it that way for obvious reasons. This is because when we are together and united, others would want

They are not having a clash with each other even though many would like to paint it that way for obvious reasons. This is because when we are together and united, others would want to take a pot shot at us all the time and we become the target of those with ill will against us.

to take a pot shot at us all the time and we become the target of those with ill will against us,” he said.

He also expressed confidence that PRS would deliver all its 11 seats to Barisan Nasional.

The seats are its nine traditional seats of Balai Ringin, Bukit Begunan, Batang Ai, Ngemah, Tamin, Kakus, Pelagus, Baleh and Belaga, and two newly created seats of Murum and Samalaju.

In the 2011 state election, PRS won eight seats and lost one seat - Pelagus.

On the tagline ‘ United We Bargain, Divided We Beg’, he said this was to show that the party could ask for more development in the rural seats represented by the party if they were united but they would lose the bargaining power if they were divided.

“This is very important. In PRS, we want to be able to bargain, so that we can get what the people need in the rural areas (that we represent). But if we are not united, how are we to bargain but we have to beg

“The same applies to the state government. We’ve got to be united behind the chief minister so that we can talk to the federal government on what we actually want,” he said.

A local Malay daily yesterday quoted Sri Aman MP and PRS supreme council member Masir Kujat as strongly denying any attempts to sabotage BN candidates in this election. This followed allegations made in a blog regarding the sabotage attempts in one of the state seats in the parliamentary constituency.

Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president