PBB 15th convention kicks start today
KUCHING: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) is finally holding its three-day 15th Triennial General Meeting (TGM), beginning today – after two years of COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 2,400 delegates are converging at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here, to exchange views with party leaders and grassroots members to have a better understanding on the direction of the party leadership.
The delegates’ conference, themed ‘Ensuring Stability, Prosperity and Glory of Sarawak’, will see the women and youth wings holding their meetings today while the main committee will hold its meeting tomorrow and Sunday (June 18-19).
PBB deputy chief Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah will officiate at the Women and Youth convention at 10am today while Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Openg will declare open the main convention tomorrow.
There will be no contest for the top posts as Abang Johari and several top leaders have been elected unopposed for the 2022-2025 term.
All the branches have also unanimously retained Deputy Premiers Uggah and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan as deputy presidents which reflects the members’ confidence in the leadership line-up, especially following Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) landslide victory in the 12th state election last December.
Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development Minister Datuk Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom won uncontested the senior vice-president post for the Pesaka wing after Datuk Amar Michael Manyin Jawong, decided to step down.
Meanwhile, Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof retained the senior vice-presidency for the Bumiputera wing.
For the posts of vice-president, Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu, Datuk Julaihi Narawi, Dr Annuar Rapaee, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn, Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Datuk Gerawat Gala, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah and Miro Simuh all also won unopposed.
Miro is expected to lead the PBB Youth wing, taking over from Gerald while Fatimah is expected to be retained as the Women chief.
For the first time, a Bidayuh youth leader has been elected to head the Youth wing, manifesting the strong and solidarity in the party. The 49-year-old is a two-term Serembu assemblyman, who has been focusing on youth development in the digital age.
Traditionally, the head of PBB Youth has been rotated among the Malays and Ibans who are the dominant races in the party.
A total 14 posts in the PBB Pesaka wing too were uncontested while 16 posts in the Bumiputera wing would be contested by 22 candidates.
Meanwhile, a motion to amend the party constitution to enable a special wing to be formed, catering to those aged 18 to 28, will be tabled at the conference. This is in line with the amendment to the Federal Constitution, which enables Malaysians aged 18 to be automatically registered as voters.
Some 26 delegates aged between 18 and 28 from the party’s new wing, the proposed Pergerakan Belia PBB, will be attending the conference as well.
Apart from that, education, economics and politics, including the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), are among topics to be discussed this weekend, to ensure Sarawak can achieve the status of a developed and high-income state by 2030, in accordance with the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS).
