PRS ‘safe’ for now
Malaysiakini.com
Dec 16, 2006
Tony Thien

It now appears that crisis-ridden Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) is safe from being de-registered.

The Registrar of Societies (ROS), apparently satisfied with the party’s reply to its show-cause letter, wrote to the party last week asking for ‘a true list of office-bearers’ to be forwarded to him as soon as possible.

The dated Dec 8 from ROS Md Alias Kalil was addressed to PRS secretary-general Sidi Munan at the registered party headquarters in Green Heights, Kuching.

PRS deputy information chief and legal adviser Ernest Chua told reporters this morning that Sidi would submit on Monday the list of office-bearers elected during the party's 2005 inaugural meeting, minus two names (Dr James Masing who was censured as president on June 14 this year and subsequently expelled from the party as a member and another supreme council member who had resigned).

Except for Masing, the list includes all the elected representatives aligned to Masing as well as staunch supporters, including Wilfred Nissom, the information chief whom Masing appointed as his secretary-general to replace Sidi Munan immediately after the state elections in May this year.

The sacking precipitated the leadership crisis in the party.

At the June 14 supreme council meeting, deputy president Sng Chee Hua was appointed acting president. (Photo: Chua at right, holding the ROS letter. On his right are Sidi Munan and Sng.) 

At the same time, Chua said the party would be holding its first triennial delegates conference (TDC), re-scheduled to March 29-30 from February 3, 2006, due to several factors, including the lack of a venue big enough to accommodate more than 1000 people, including delegates and observers.

“We will supply to the ROS a new list of office-bearers and supreme council members immediately after our 1st TDC,” Chua added.

Properly supervised

He said the TDC will be properly conducted in accordance with the party constitution and will be supervised by a panel of distinguished and well-known personalities “in order to avoid accusations or allegations from people who may say that our 1st TDC is manipulated by certain individuals.”

Reporters present were shown the original copy of the ROS letter which was received yesterday afternoon by the party secretary-general. It was copied to Dr Masing and Sng.

Chua said: “The letter from the ROS is dated Dec 8 which shows that the ROS does not recognise Masing's TDC held in Sibu on Dec 2.”

Following complaints made to the department, the ROS found that the sacking of the six principal office-bearers of the party by Masing as president in May was a wilful contravention of the party constitution.

In his reply to the ROS, Sng, as acting president, said PRS should not be de-registered because of the mistake of one man (Masing).

Meanwhile, Masing, who is state Land Development Minister, is on leave and believed to be overseas. He could not be reached for comments. 

Copyright © 1999-2006 Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd