PBDS Baru to seek ‘merger of minds’

KUCHING: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) Baru will seek to form a ‘merger of minds’ with local opposition parties in order to avoid multi-cornered fights in the coming state election.

PBDS Baru president Louis Jarau Patrick said this was among the resolutions passed during the party’s supreme council meeting yesterday.

“We have identified a few state seats and have shortlisted our candidates to stand using our party’s ticket when the time comes. And towards making sure that there will not be too many candidates in any given constituency, PBDS Baru will seek to form some sort of a ‘merger of minds’ with local opposition parties,” Jarau said in a statement.

“The final form and shape will be announced later when that has materialised.”

He added the meeting also resolved for PBDS Baru to stand alone and unaffiliated with either Barisan Nasional (BN) or the opposition.

“The party supports any policies of the present state government, other political parties and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) that are consistent with our declared struggles,” he said.

The meeting also resolved that PBDS Baru exists to support and promote the demand for equal opportunities for all Sarawakians in general, and for the Dayak community in particular.

This includes fair representation in the civil service as well as demanding

for Dayak representatives on the board of directors of Yayasan Sarawak, both state and federal Public Service Commissions, and in government-linked companies (GLCs).

PBDS Baru was one of five new parties approved by the REGISTRAR of Societies (ROS) in 2013 with the aim of reviving PBDS, which was deregistered in 2004.-Borneo Post