Jugah’s bid to rejoin PRS to be decided by supreme council, says Salang

Salang(front, seventh right) receives the petitions from Roy, on his left, and Gayih, as other PRS members look on. — Photo by Roystein Emmor

KUCHING (Aug 10): Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) is letting its supreme council decide on the membership application submitted by independent Lubok Antu MP Jugah Muyang.

In a press conference held at the party’s headquarters here yesterday, PRS president Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said a date had yet to be fixed for the supreme council to call its meeting.

However, he also pointed out that several PRS members from Lubok Antu, jointly led by PRS Engkilili chairman Roy Gingkoi and PRS Batang Ai deputy chairman Councillor Gayih @ Agas Thomas, as well as some representatives of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) from the parliamentary area, had met him to submit their petitions against Jugah’s application to rejoin PRS.

Speaking on behalf of the visitors, Gayih said they were asking PRS not to accept Jugah because in the last state election last year, Jugah had allegedly sponsored the independent candidates in Engkilili and Batang Ai – a move deemed as undermining the strength of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

“In Batang Ai, he sponsored John Linang whereas in Engkilili, he sponsored Gemong Batu,” claimed Gayih.

In the 12th state election, PRS’ Datuk Malcom Mussen Lamoh won Batang Ai, but Sarawak United People’s Party’s (SUPP) Desmond Sateng lost to Parti Sarawak Bersatu’s Dr Johnichal Rayong Ngipa in Engkilili.

PBB, SUPP, PRS and PDP are the component parties of GPS.

Back on Jugah’s application, Salang acknowledged that it was submitted directly to the party secretariat earlier this year.

He said the party could not make any decision immediately as it was busy preparing for its triennial delegates conference (TDC) in April.

It was made known that Jugah, being a resident of Lubok Antu, had been told to apply for membership through either PRS Engkilili or PRS Batang Ai branch.

Salang said GPS chairman, Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg had let PRS to decide on the matter for itself.

“No pressure, but (it is) an advice from GPS. I have received the advice from the Premier, letting us to decide on it,” he said.

Salang, who is former Julau MP, also mentioned that former PRS president, the late Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, had once asked the secretariat to write a letter to Jugah asking him to rejoin PRS, but since he (Jugah) did not respond, Masing then asked the party to groom Roy Gingkoi.

“We then decided to forget about him (Jugah) and focus on our attention on exposing Roy to the people in Lubok Antu,” he said.

A lawyer and a councillor at Lubok Antu District Council, Roy, 43, is the potential PRS nominee for Lubok Antu in the next parliamentary election.

In this regard, however, Salang said this would depend on the feedback of PRS members and community leaders in Lubok Antu.

from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3JHoDNk
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