KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) will not field any new candidate in the forthcoming 12th state election.
The party has decided to retain all its incumbents, disclosed its youth chief, who is also Balai Ringin assemblyman Datuk Snowdan Lawan.
“We’ve submitted our candidates’ list to the Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg for approval,” he said
Currently, PRS holds 11 seats in the 82-seat Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN).
The other ten incumbents are its president, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing (Baleh), Wilson Nyabong Ijang (Pelagus), Datuk Liwan Lagang (Belaga), Kennedy Chukpai Ugon (Murum), Datuk John Sikie Tayai (Kakus), Majang Renggie (Samalaju), Christopher Gira (Tamin), Alexander Vincent (Ngemah), Datuk Malcom Mussem Lamoh (Batang Ai) and Datuk Mong Dagang (Bukit Begunan).
Snowdan said PRS is fully prepared in facing the impending election, adding the party’s election machinery has been set in motion since the last state election in 2016.
“Our preparation is on-going…everyday is like an election day. The moment the last election was concluded, we started to go back on the ground to prepare for the next one and now, we are ready anytime.
“I think Sarawakians can judge for themselves on our track record and performance for the past five years. If you manage to deliver your best as the government of the day, I’m sure that the people will be satisfied and I believe that the people will choose PRS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) as a whole as it can be seen that they are well-satisfied,” he said on Thursday (Oct 21).
On the party’s campaigning strategy, he said it would depend on the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be determined by the Election Commission.
“To us it makes not one bit of a difference whether we are campaigning on the ground or otherwise as we have done our job and we have done it very well for the past five years and even before that.
“The people are not blind. They can tell the difference between a diamond and a glass, the rights and wrongs. On the whole, I think the people are still confident with the GPS government,” he enthused.
Asked to comment on the uproar from the opposition over speculations that the 12th state election is likely to be called this year, Snowdan said it only reflected their unpreparedness to face the election.
“They can say anything they want. I don’t know, maybe they are not as ready. But as far as PRS is concerned, we are well prepared to face it any time.”
Snowdan said calling for the state election early was necessary as GPS term as the state government had long expired.
“GPS term as the state government had ended last June and it is time to return the mandate to the people in deciding the next state government,” he explained.
