Veteran politician Edmund Langgu joins PSB, reveals Soon Koh

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KUCHING (Jan 30): Veteran politician Dato Sri Edmund Langgu Saga has joined Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), its president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh announced today.

Wong who announced this in a statement said that Langgu had applied to join the party, and his application had been approved and welcomed wholeheartedly by the party’s leadership.

“I am delighted to announce that Dato Sri Edmund Langgu Saga has applied to join PSB and we welcome him wholeheartedly into the party. He is a political veteran, having been active in politics since before Independence first as an MP and then as assemblyman. Throughout he has helped to give voice to a multi-racial Sarawak in general and for the Dayak peoples in particular.

“Dato Sri Edmund is an icon among the Dayaks of Sarawak – among all of his generation who have been consistently defending and fighting for Dayak rights, aspirations and recognition, he is still a very much respected leader and we are honoured to have him join us,” said Wong.

Descended from the Orang Kaya Beti, from Padeh Betong, Langgu was born at Lubok Nas, Sebetan, Saratok in 1936. He had his early education at Sungai Klampai and from there studied at St Peter’s School, Saratok and later at St Augustine’s School, Betong, according to Wong’s biography on him.

Langgu later attended the Batu Lintang Teachers’ Training College in Kuching which was followed by various teaching assignments mostly in the Kalaka District.

Wong said Langgu had an early interest in politics and was a delegate to meet the Cobbold Commission on the formation of Malaysia when it met in Saratok. In 1963 he resigned his teaching profession and was elected a councillor in Saratok District Council and a member of the then Second Division ‘Divisional Advisory Council’. He was indirectly elected as a Member of Parliament that year. In 1975 he served as the leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

Following Sarawak National Party’s (SNAP) entry into the government in 1976, Langgu was made the Federal Deputy Minister of Agriculture and held that post until 1982. He successfully defended his position as MP for Saratok for five successive elections from the first federal election in Sarawak in 1970 until 1986. He also successfully contested the Krian State seat under the Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) ticket in 1983 and was the assemblyman until 1991.

Dato’ Sri Edmund was a long serving Secretary-General for the Sarawak National Party (SNAP), a position which he held from 1964 until 1976. While holding this post he had helped to spread the party along the Rejang river basin in the decades after independence. He was a founder member of PBDS together with Tan Sri Leo Moggie and the late Dato Sri Daniel Tajem and in 1987, in the aftermath of the party’s Triennial Delegates’ Conference, he was appointed its Secretary-General and held that post until 2000.

Langgu had also been appointed to various governmental bodies such as a Director of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, Chairman of the Federal Pepper Marketing Board, Chairman of the Land Transport Licensing Board (Lembaga Perlesenan Kenderaan Perdagangan), member of the Malaysian Public Accounts Committee, Sarawak, and the Brooke Dockyard Board.

“Throughout his public service over the decades, Dato Sri Edmund has come in contact with many leaders and peoples of many cultures. Perhaps the most notable is his particularly close affinity with Sarawak indigenous peoples and leaders and this, together with his own interest in Dayak issues, ways and classics, has made him an expert in their culture, customs, adat and current concerns,” said Wong.

Wong said Langgu had served as a Board Member of the Majlis Adat Istiadat for two terms or six years from March 1999 to February 2005.

“He is a much sought after speaker for his expertise. Dato’ Sri Edmund is currently a consultant with the Tun Jugah Foundation.

“His radio programmes on Dayak especially Iban culture, issues and literature have gained a wide audience not only in Sarawak but in Indonesia and Brunei as well.

“We are honoured to have a man of Dato Sri Edmund’s stature and experience in PSB. His presence in our party will definitely move the party to greater heights,” said Wong.

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