Saturday, June 28

Will merger between SPDP and PRS bring about Dayak unity?

IN the last few weeks or so we have heard of Abdul Taib Mahmud, PBB president, George Chan, SUPP president, and Sim Kheng Hui, SUPP secretary general talking about merger between SPDP and PRS and it appears that they are so concerned about Dayak unity.

*Talks of merger resurfaced after the 8 March 08 parliamentary elections. The talks believed to have emerged on 7 May 08 during a coffee break after the morning session of the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Council Negeri) meeting. James Masing was sitting with a PRS leader when Taib joined them. Also joining them were William Mawan and Dublin Unting. During this coffee break, Taib brought up the subject of merger between SPDP and PRS.

Masing was quick to ask Taib: “Sir, are you serious in seeing that the two parties merge?” Without hesitation, Taib replied: “Ya, ya, of course I am serious.”

Masing was said to be unsure of Taib’s intention following an earlier encounter with Taib when he (Taib) told Masing that Datuk Sri Daniel Tajem had not done anything when he was one of the deputy chief ministers in Taib’s cabinet. Masing could not understand why Taib mentioned Tajem to him. Could it mean that Tajem was useless and that PRS should keep away from him? And why did Taib keep on reminding them regarding the merger of the two parties to form a bigger union? Was he really sincere? These are some of the questions that PRS leaders are asking themselves.

In the absence of Chinese influence, PRS can become not only a strong rural based party, but can also become a very formidable Dayak party supported by people like Tajem, Salang and hardcore members of the defunct PBDS. The recently concluded parliamentary elections saw many hardcore members of demised PBDS led by Tajem lending support to PRS candidates resulting in comfortable victories by the six PRS candidates.

And by merging, the two parties will invite more troubles and create more problems for themselves. For example, the questions of leadership and the Chinese influence come to mind. Who should helm the new party? And what about Chinese members and influence?

On the question of leadership, there are SPDP members who do not want Masing to take over because of his involvement in the deregistration of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak. Some senior members of SPDP are also interested in the leadership of the new entity. Similarly there are PRS members who do not want Mawan to be the leader of the merged party because of his personal characters. There will be leadership tussles and these will possibly lead to two or even three factions each to be headed by a president with separate supreme councils. Bickering is not good for the new party and for the Dayak community

The possible presence of Tiong King Sing, Larry Sng and Ting Pek Khiing in the new party frightens PRS leaders and members and may be not so much to SPDP. PRS leaders have seen how decisions in SNAP, PBDS, SPDP and PRS have been dictated by strong Chinese influence. PRS itself was almost deregistered due to the leadership struggle between Masing and Larry Sng. Currently it is trying to get rid of Chinese influence in the party.

Taib must have sensed that Masing and his party members were hesitant in forging the merger with SPDP. So once again Taib mentioned the importance of merger between the two parties, but this time around he mentioned it during an official function on 20 June and not over a cup of coffee as he did previously. He even saw beyond the merger of the two parties when he expressed the hope that the new entity would eventually join PBB to form a bigger union of Bumiputra party. ……. More to come..

* This article is taken from a chapter on PRS CRISIS of Volume two of THE BROKEN SHIELD. The book is due to be published soon.
Read comments from other blog >> What SPDP-PRS Merger?Grassroots Consulted?

7 comments:

`;' Four Horsemen said...

Great, I hope you don't mind we might put you on show with the Four Horsemen soon now we've got some interesting stuff to work on. Keep doing what you're doing. Our show is only to provide another platform to get your voice and feelings across.

::: James anak Bond :::
http://knightadventure.blogspot.com/2008/04/taib-who-part-11.html

Jetty said...

Thank you Mr Bond...Just wait for more stuff to come..

keling menua 1 said...

the iban merged, then disintegrated again, so fragile and the broken shield is just the right term to brand the iban.
To me, as long as the present iban leaders are still around, my reminder to the iban, please let us be content as it is now for there is no credible and respected iban leader today. What we have now, please wake up iban,are all hermits.

keling menua 1 said...

whatever it is, let us live and die with SNAP. SNAP symbolise power, freedom and rights of the Dayaks.
The Dayaks themselves destroyed SNAP saying they didnt want to be directed and dictated by non Dayaks for their advancement. BUT see now, what happen to them now and what have they done for the Dayaks? NUT!

Anonymous said...

mr jtawie,

i would like to see where dayak leaders put aside the personal agenda and move forward for the better future for dayaks

i am against if the new party has the chi influence especially for financial. it's time for us to standon our own foots. not depending on others

why must join pbb? easier to control dayaks?

let tajem, jawie etc lead the new party

sagaraptor said...

merge?? what a joke

Liang1a said...

It would be a big mistake for the natives to try to get rid of the Chinese. If the natives tried to get rid of the Chinese, then they will inevitably fall prey to the Malays who will expand their influence over the natives. If the Sarawak natives don't believe this, then they should look at Sabah and see how the Kadazans are being marginalized by the Malays who are now holding 52% of the federal MPs and the same proportion of state MPs.

It is the wisest thing for the Sarawakian natives to form a close link with the Chinese for their own long term safety and prosperity. In Malaya, the Malays are promoting ketuanan Melayu. This means the Sarawakians will ultimately be the second class citizens in thier own home land second to the Malays who will be the first class citizens. But in Singapore, all citizens are first class citizens even though the Chinese are 80% of the population. This is why the Sarawakian natives should trust the Chinese and not the Malays.