PBDSB to install Dayak as chief minister if it wins state polls
KUCHING: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) will install a Dayak as Chief Minister if it wins the state election, according to an election manifesto released by the party yesterday.
Being the majority ethnic group in Sarawak, it said Dayaks, who collectively account for about 1.73 million people in Sarawak, should feature prominently in all major political decisionmaking.
Apart from that, PBDSB aims to ensure that Dayaks will be the driving force in Sarawak and be in the driving seat to bring greater economic prosperity and harmony for all Sarawakians so that no one group will be left behind.
“It has been some 58 long years since Dayaks had a Dayak Chief Minister to bring change for the better for the community and it is also PBDSB’s belief that Dayaks should no longer need to play second or third fiddle to others as we capitalise on our greater numbers, valuable land, rich diversity in customs, knowledge and skills for better prospects ahead of us.
“In line with PBDSB’s vision and mission we want to unite all Dayaks in Sarawak and choose a credible Dayak leader to lead Sarawak and empower the Dayak community,” said PBDSB in a press release yesterday.
The party is thus rolling out a plan to unite Dayaks for a better future in Sarawak and win in the coming state election through raising their political consciousness with a battle cry ‘New Sarawak. Secular. Fair. Harmonious’.
This is based on their eightpoint election manifesto premised on what they call ‘Uniting Dayaks for a Better Sarawak’ and ‘Unleashing the power of Dayaks for the advancement of Dayaks in the 21st Century’.
“As our core value, PBDSB will govern Sarawak by upholding justice, fairness and accountability in all spheres. PBDSB will bring change and realise the full potential of all Dayaks and other races in Sarawak too,” said PBDSB.
Meanwhile, the party’s manifesto also said that they want greater prosperity and restore the status of Sarawak as an equal partner of Sabah and Malaya, who together formed the Federation of Malaysia and as duly written in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
PBDSB will thus work towards freeing from the past and gearing to realise the dream of Sarawakians of all races and religions to restore Sarawak as a sovereign entity and equal partner of Sabah and Malaya within the Federation of Malaysia.
“For a start, we think that the subject of the History of Sarawak, including the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), should to be taught extensively in schools,” said PBDSB.
Following the release of the manifesto, PBDSB thus said that the time has come for all Dayaks, representing the majority ethnic community in Sarawak, to unite, realise their political power and take the leading political role in the state to shape a better future and destiny for Sarawakians.
Other points included in their eight-point election manifesto are ensuring religious freedom as contained in the Federal Constitution Article 11, amending the Sarawak Land Code and giving equal opportunity for all races in the Sarawak civil service.
The manifesto also mentions that the party also wants to upgrade infrastructure in Sarawak’s rural constituencies, upgrade Sarawak’s rural healthcare and harness renewable energy for greater economic prosperity.