KUCHING: PRS Youth seems to be barking up the wrong tree when it challenged Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian to state his stand on hudud.
Deputy head of PKR Sarawak Youth, Simon Siah, said it appeared that PRS Youth had ‘caught the disease from DAP a bit too slow’ when it was already yesterday’s news that PKR and Baru had stated their stand on the hudud issue very clearly.
“It goes to show that PRS Youth probably does not keep up with the current affairs in Sarawak if they still do not know PKR and Baru’s stand on hudud.
“His statements on hudud have been published in both the mainstream press and online news portals so it is rather incredible that PRS Youth should issue this silly challenge,” he told a press conference, here, yesterday.
Siah, who is also PKR Bandar Kuching branch chairman, said PRS Youth should also make an effort to do research on the proceedings of the most recent State Legislative Assembly sitting where Baru submitted a private member’s motion that there should be no implementation of hudud in Sarawak.
“However, Baru’s private member’s motion was dismissed by the Speaker. It begs the question, where was PRS president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing when the Speaker dismissed Baru’s private motion?
“If PRS Youth feels that research would involve too much effort, I would be more than happy to supply them with copies of Baru’s statements and motion.”
Siah also challenged Masing of his party’s stand on the ‘Allah’ issue and on the native customary rights (NCR) of the indigenous Sarawakians.
“Do they know that the BN Government, of which they are a part of, is the source of the ‘Allah/Alkitab’ controversy? How can they support a government that restricts their constitutional and human rights?”
He said the so-called 10-point solution offered by the prime minister had failed to solve the issue and the BN government was in fact now drawing up standard operating procedures (SOP) on Bahasa Malaysia bibles, which was unacceptable to Borneo Christians.
“Why doesn’t PRS Youth take up this issue with their main body and the BN government instead of making silly challenges to Baru Bian? If they are really sincere about standing up for the people, they should ask their leaders to quit BN, as a matter of principle.”
Siah also questioned what PRS Youth had to offer to the rural population who were fighting for their lands against the logging companies, timber companies and dam builders?
“What is their stand on the NCR of the people? Are they not aware that the courts have recognised the practice of ‘pemakai menoa’ (communal land) and ‘pulau galau’ (forest reserve) and it is the BN government which continues to disregard the court’s decision and continues to issue timber licences and leases over pemakai menoa and pulau galau.
“As we speak, the Sarawak BN government has instructed the state Attorney-General to appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision in Tuai Rumah Sanda Tabau’s case on the recognition of pemakai menoa and pulau galau as being part of the native land ownership in Sarawak. Are they even aware of the fight that our lawyers have been engaged in over the definition of NCR land?”
He asked if PRS Youth supported the government’s stand and disrespectful regard of the court’s definition of NCR?
“In recent months, we even had their (PRS) party members and strongmen from Baleh whose NCR land have been encroached by timber companies approaching us for help.”
Siah said since PRS Youth was feeling so ‘gung ho’ about issuing challenges, he invited them to explain their stand on these two issues first, adding that they should stop embarrassing themselves if they could not give a clear answer and focus some effort in keeping informed on the developments in the political arena.
“They would do well to learn from the saying ‘better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt’”.
- Borneo Post
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