Serian voters call for appointment of Bidayuh senator
KUCHING: A group of voters in Serian are appealing to the Pakatan Harapan federal government to consider appointing a Bidayuh as a member of the Dewan Negara or senator.
Their leader Mark Mado explained it is high time for the Bidayuh community to have a Senator so that they have a bigger voice in Parliament.
He said the PH had made a breakthrough in the just-concluded 14th General Election by winning two of the three Bidayuh majority seats namely Puncak Borneo and Mas Gading.
He pointed out Serian the other Bidayuh seat, which was retained by incumbent Dato Sri Richard Riot Jaem for the seventh consecutive term, is now an opposition area .
“In comparison with the Orang Ulu community who form 5 per cent of the state population, it seemed the Bidayuh community had been sidelined since independence.
“The Orang Ulu have seen seven senators appointed from within their community, while the Bidayuh have yet to have one despite making up 8 per cent of the state’s population.
“Therefore, the PH government should consider appointing a Bidayuh as a senator since we feel this appointment has long been overdue,” he said yesterday.
He added that a senator from Serian would be able to assist the federal government in accelerating the development in the area.
This is important because Serian is the newest administrative division and located at the crossroad between the north and south regions of the state and also the gateway to Kalimantan, Indonesia.
In comparison with the Orang Ulu community who form 5 percent of the state population, it seemed the Bidayuh community had been sidelined since independence. Mark Mado, leader of a group of voters in Serian