KUCHING: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) president Bobby William believed that it will be more beneficial to the Dayak community for incumbent Saratok MP Datuk Ali Biju to contest in the 15th general election (GE15) on the party’s ticket.
He said that Ali should look after his own community through PBDS instead of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) which has little influence in the state.
“PBDS is only for the Dayaks. Ali is a Dayak,” the Malay Mail quoted Bobby when asked if PBDS had asked Ali, who is also the caretaker Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, to join the party.
He said PBDS would welcome Ali to be its member and contest in Saratok on its ticket in GE15 so long as he is prepared to abide by its constitution.
Bobby said the party is extending an open invitation to Ali to be its member, adding that it is up to him to accept it.
“Whatever it is, it is his personal choice,” Bobby said.
Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) vice president Datuk Penguang Manggil said last week that the party would not support Ali to defend his Saratok seat.
Penguang had said Ali was not keen to join PDP, but instead had applied to be a member of another component party of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
Ali won in Saratok in the 2018 general election on PKR ticket, defeating Jagah @ Subeng Mula of Barisan Nasional.
However, he, along with his PKR colleagues Selangau MP Baru Bian and Puncak MP Borneo Datuk Willie Mongin, left PKR in early 2020.
Ali and Willie joined Bersatu while Baru joined Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).
Willie left Bersatu to join Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) in August this year.
