SIBU: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) yesterday elected Bobby William as its new president at its Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC).
The post was vacant after the death of former president Cobbold John Lusoi on March 8 due to heart complications.
PBDSB was formed in 2013 and Cobbold elected as its president in 2016.
Meanwhile, Andrew Puro was elected as the party’s deputy president while Adman Jubang, Dr Bego Sepop and Mejar Moses Ripai were elected vice presidents.
The secretary general is Julius Enchana while Sai Malaka is the treasurer general.
The supreme council members are Sarjan Chely Jenggu, Deny Nico, Brauszelt Elden Anak Usah, Synne Darlyn, Nicholas Dominic, Puyang Laing, Guro Siang, Rahman Mattu, Matthew Jeluing, Anjie Seli, Nicholas Ayu, Emellia Ambrose, Lawrence Ujoh, Budat Jaul, Micheal Bada, Undi Berangan, Bari Ubi, Cecelia Sak and Wen Anchat.
The youth chief is Rapelson Richard Hamit while the women chief is Sylvia John Gemok.
Puyang Laing, the late Cobbold’s widow, was nominated into the Supreme Council to continue his legacy of Dayakism.
Meanwhile, according to a statement from PBDSB’s media and publication section, the agenda of the TDC included native customary rights land, economic development, welfare and education of the Dayaks.
“We urge the state government to survey all land belonging to the Dayaks under Section 18 of the State Land Ordinance for individual land titles, instead of Section 6, which is state land (tanah gunasama),” said the party in the statement.
It also urged the government to upgrade Majlis Adat Istiadat Dayak and Dayak Court to be at par with the Civil and Syariah Court.
The party suggested that the name Majlis Adat Istiadat Bumiputera be replaced with “Majlis Adat Istiadat Dayak” and Mahkamah Bumiputera to “Mahkamah Dayak”.
The party also urged the state and federal governments to give the Dayaks equal opportunities in terms of social development and welfare.
It urged both the federal and state governments to improve dilapidated rural schools as soon as possible.
