July 10, 2005 13:01 PM
PRS May Field Several Chinese Candidates In Future Elections
SIBU, July 10 (Bernama) -- Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), a component of the state Barisan Nasional (BN), has raised the possibility of fielding several Chinese candidates in elections in the future, considering that it is reportedly attracting many Chinese as its members statewide.
"Our Chinese members now form 30 per cent of our current total registered membership of 33,000 people. We have actually received around 50,000 applications," said PRS President Datuk Seri Dr James Jemut Masing.
The party now has one Chinese elected representative in Larry Sng Wei Shien, who is Pelagus state-assemblyman and an assistant minister in the Chief Minister's Office.
Masing said the fielding of more Chinese election candidates was possible if the party became "quite strong" in the urban areas.
"The state Barisan Nasional will then have to consider us as a player. That is how I look at it," he told reporters after officiating the installation of the party's Nangka branch committee here Saturday night.
The Sarawak BN also comprises the Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).
PRS was formed in Oct 21 last year by a faction of the former Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS). It was accepted as the BN's 14th component party on June 20 this year.
Masing said it was vital for all communities in the state to work together for their common good. "If we do not, then we will not move forward. Because of the multi-ethnic nature of the state politics, we have to work together," he said.
He said it might be because the Chinese members felt more comfortable in PRS that more and more of them in urban areas joined the party. "This is a gain for if they were to join the opposition, it will be a problem for BN," he added.
He said the party's Chinese members could help to secure victories for candidates from the PBB, SUPP or SPDP in urban and semi-urban constituencies in the next state election.
-- BERNAMA
