BY AMYRA VARKISA & NATASHA JEE
SIBU: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) has proposed several issues that need to be further considered and resolved by the Sarawak government.
Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum who was elected unopposed as president at the party’s 5th Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC) here today said the major issues were infrastructure, utility and telecommunications development.
“We support the government’s masterplan for the development of infrastructure, telecommunications and utilities in the urban and suburban areas but we also call for balanced development in the rural areas.
“As we all know, the villagers are still facing a shortage even though we have achieved independence for so long. Hence it would be good to have a masterplan for infrastructure in each district,” he said in his inaugural address.
The other issue that needed to be resolved, Salang said, was the imbalance in the positions and posts, especially at the executive levels in State Civil Service.
“PRS likes to suggest that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government seriously look into ways to improve the Dayak participation to reflect the population composition of Sarawak. The tasks of the public service commission need to be revamped so that there is greater transparency in the recruitment exercises.
“Similar situation also exists in the government-linked corporations (GLC). As a political master, GPS must find ways to address this long-standing imbalance issue,” he said.
Thirdly, he said, was the participation in business and commerce among the Dayaks or Bumiputera.
“The rural population is just getting up to realise that business-like farming is also a way of life except it is much more lucrative. The Bumiputeras, especially Dayak people are far behind in business and industry.
“Apart from a small group, our people do not have the resources to apply and get the concessions given by the government,” he said.
He hoped that the state government would help to address these issues.
On the matter of Yayasan Pendidikan Teknikal Raykat Sarawak (TERAS), Salang noted that the foundation was established Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) in 1994 which is synonymous with PRS.
“The foundation has contributed a lot to Sarawakians to participate in technical courses,” he said.
He said as the foundation’s coffer was drying up, he was seeking assistance from Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari for assistance.
