KUCHING: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) has issued rebuttals to the many press statements by leaders of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and one by the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
“We will respond fully to them,” said the party’s secretariat in a statement.
With regard to SUPP, it is a known fact that they have been at logger-heads with UPP (now PSB) since its formation. So the secretariat is not at all surprised that they have chosen to take a few swings at PSB now that the opportunity to do so has arisen.
However, it must be pointed out that, to date, no leader of SUPP has joined PSB although a newspaper report speculated that Dato Sri Richard Riot may be considering such a move, a report that SUPP secretary general Datuk Sebastian Ting immediately dismissed the next day.
The statement added that even if Riot does leave SUPP, PSB would refer to a statement by SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian.
“On the possibility of Riot leaving the party due to dissatisfaction, Sarawak practises democracy and members can leave any party when they chose to,” said Dr Sim.
It must be noted that in his statement, Dr Sim never denied dissatisfaction on the part of Riot and even went on record to say Riot was free to leave if he chose to as this is a democracy.
SUPP’s war with UPP is public knowledge when they openly fielded candidates bearing SUPP and BN banners in the last state election against BN direct candidates from UPP.
“We had plenty of photographic and videographic evidence given to the late Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Adenan Satem to show that SUPP openly campaigned against BN candidates,” said the secretariat. “However, Adenan’s advice then was ‘the election is over, let’s just move on’.”
The SUPP campaign against BN candidates speaks volumes of its purported “loyalty” to a coalition that it was a component of at that time.
As for PDP, the secretariat said no leader from the party has joined Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), adding that in a previous press release, they stated that PDP’s state assemblymen left PDP and eventually joined Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB).
“PDP’s grievances are therefore not with us.”
Turning to PRS and the many press statements issued by them, the secretariat pointed out that those who joined PSB were Datuk Joseph Entulu and his supporters, Datuk Masir Kujat and other Dayak leaders like Datuk Sylvester Entrie and Banyi Beriak. The latter two are independents and are deemed free to join any party they wish.
As for Entulu and his followers, they were sacked by a special committee of PRS on the eve of nomination day in the last parliamentary general election.
“PRS clearly no longer wanted Entulu and his supporters,” the secretariat pointed out, adding that for PRS to complain about Entulu and his group joining PSB, it smacks of the classic “dog in a manger” attitude. The dictionary defined this as “a person who spitefully refuses to let someone else benefit from something which he or she has no personal use for.
“Let us consider the interests of Sarawak and the need for Sarawak-based parties to fight for Sarawak rights. The fundamental question is this ̶ is it not in the interests of Sarawak that Entulu and his supporters come together in PSB instead of joining Pakatan Harapan (PH) whose control is in Malaya?,” the secretariat continued.
“If Entulu and his group are people of substance, then Sarawak must surely benefit from their support for PSB. If Entulu’s group is of no substance, then no one should care where they go since they are partyless.”
The secretariat then addressed the issue of Datuk Masir Kujat who could be said to be unhappy in PRS as those within PRS are fully acquainted with.
According to them, PRS knew why Masir wanted to leave. The only issue is, is it better for Sarawak and the present government that Masir joins PSB or PH? PSB accepted him because they believe that the interests of Sarawak would be best served by him joining PSB rather than PH.
“Is that a disservice to Sarawak?” the secretariat wanted to know.
Those who complain stridently about Masir leaving, the secretariat told them to look to the management of their own parties and asked them about what has happened to cause disillusionment among their leaders or members.
The secretariat believes that loyalty must be earned and should never be taken for granted.
“Both Tan Sri James Masing and Dr Sim have been reported to state that in a democracy any member can leave any time he wishes. The lower echelon leaders who complain incessantly in the press lately should heed what their presidents have said,” the secretariat concluded.
