KUCHING: A group of community leaders from Balai Ringin has described Sri Aman MP Datuk Masir Kujat’s decision to quit PRS and join PSB as a betrayal of the people’s trust.
The leaders said it was unbecoming and unethical of a person of his status.
“After all the hard work and sweat during the last three terms and the last GE14 at the grassroots level here, it is so unethical, morally wrong and shameful for him (Masir) to have jumped ship from PRS to PSB,” said Pemanca Peter Mooney a prominent community leader from Simunjan.
“We had given and mandated him our support but he decided to leave without notice. So be it. If he is being lured by other gains, I regret it or else the rakyat will voice it out louder by replacing him later,” he added.
Penghulu Pelie Jumbu and Penghulu Ali Danjie, who are chieftains at Lower Simunjan and Sebuyau respectively, with 84 villages in the Balai Ringin constituency under their spheres of infuence, shared the same sentiments.
“If he had sought second opinion from us, we would have advised and disagreed with his decision. It was totally unwise, ungrateful of him to have made such a unilateral decision as such.
“He had lost his principle, honesty, loyalty and vision not only to the party’s institution but to the grassroots supporters as well. Let it be known that now he is the one called ‘thorn in the flesh’, no mistake about it. He confirmed it,” they lamented.
Penghulu Johnny Lumi, a community leader of Pantu area representing the Iban community, said it was a narrow thought, unwise and totally unexpected of Masir.
The timing was also questionable, more so now that GPS was in the process of consolidating within its fold, he added.
Johnny said Masir’s decision had not only betrayed the people but had broken the trust mandated to him by the rakyat for the last three terms.
“Because of our support, he was even appointed a deputy minister at federal level once,” he added.
Frustrated by this unprincipled move, Johnny said, “He (Masir) does not deserve my respect any longer and I certainly won’t be associated with him anymore.
“But we will move on without him anyway,” he added.
Kapitan Lee Kim Onn, who represented the Chinese community in Pantu area, said it showed Masir had forgotten his origin.
“He came from us. His action is disgusting, disgraceful and does not reflect our wish. We mandated him. The party groomed him gradually but steadily, but he had chosen to betray the party and the supporters. I am taken by surprise. I wish him all the best,” he added.
