“We join tonight, tomorrow we start work.”
These were the words of PKR’s latest elected representative recruit Gabriel Adit Demong, 58.
Adit, who until two days ago was an independent state assemblyperson for Ngemah - a predominantly-Iban constituency in Sarawak’s central region - has on Saturday hosted a 330-table dinner in Sibu with PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim as the guest of honour.
Adit’s speech before a crowd of 4,000 people at Sibu Trade and Exhibition Centre was listened intently by his new boss Anwar, the recently-elected MP for Permatang Pauh and parliamentary opposition leader.
Adit acknowledged it would not be easy to bring about change in Sarawak but said he was confident that if everyone in the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition worked together, “nothing would be impossible”.
He also revealed political attempts to “sabotage” the dinner, but added that he was happy the event went off without a hitch.
Those present at the function were other key PKR leaders - secretary-general Salehuddin Hashim, vice-president Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and information chief Tian Chua.
Also there were two DAP top guns in Sarawak, Wong Ho Leng, who is the state representative for Bukit Assek, and Chiew Chin Sing, the state assemblyperson for Kidurong.
The dinner theme, depicted by a large banner covering the backdrop of the stage, was ‘Change in the Making’.
Adit took the opportunity to also hand over 6,000 application forms of his supporters to Anwar and said there were another 6,000 to come.
Defectors from Dayak-based PRS
According to Adit, he first brought up the subject of him joining PKR during a visit to Anwar’s house recently.
The new PKR state assemblyperson is expected to play a leading role in spearheading the party’s preparations for the next state election due in two years’ time.
The campaign to take over the Sarawak goverment, which has already started, is being aided by defections of leaders from Dayak-based Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS).
Former Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) MP for Sri Amam Jimmy Donald, PRS divisional heads Munan Laja (Katibas), Stephen Kalai (Pahlawan), Tuba Ak Aga (Bukit Assek) and PRS deputy chairperson for Nangka, Peter Goh, were all seen submitting their application forms to Anwar.
Also at the dinner was Beginda Minda, who has ruffled a few political feathers recently with his bold call for long-time Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu to resign.
Sacked recently from the party because of his action, Beginda, who is from Kapit, was invited by Anwar along with several of his close friends, to the stage to address the crowd.
The PKR leader was clearly moved by the huge crowd, said to be one of the largest-ever political sit-down dinner gatherings in Sarawak.
An elderly Iban from Kanowit, who was among the dinner guests, commented that the atmosphere was akin to seeing the return of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), which was recently deregistered after an intense factional feud.
Anwar himself spoke on why change is necessary in Sarawak and repeated at least three times the importance of state leaders in the opposition alliance to work together to realise their common goal.
In the last general elections, unlike other states in the Peninsular, the opposition in Sarawak failed to agree on an electoral pact.
Addressing the pre-dominantly Dayak, DAP’s Chiew, who represents a mixed urban-rural constituency in Bintulu, spoke at length on the problems of native customary rights (NCR) land.
He assured that this lingering problem will be resolved under a Pakatan Rakyat government.
First to join, but more to come
Adit was the first elected representative in Sarawak to join the Pakatan opposition.
He said there were many BN members waiting in the wings to join PKR, adding that he had met some of them. However, Adit said he would let them announce their decision when the time comes.
With Adit’s entry, Sarawak PKR now has two state elected representatives. The other is Dominique Ng, the assemblyperson for the Chinese-majority seat of Padungan in the heart of Kuching.
Adit told Malaysiakini before the dinner kicked off that the most serious problem confronting Sarawak was what he called the ‘political castration’ of the Dayaks.
This, he said, has made the Dayaks “even meeker than a lamb” under the BN state government led by Chief Minister Taib.
“Enough is enough,” said Adit, who is closely related to former PBDS president and former federal minister Leo Moggie and the present PRS MP for Kanowit, Aaron Dagang.
Anwar observed a busy schedule from the time he arrived in Sibu on Saturday.
Apart from meeting with local leaders, he opened two new PKR branches, including one in Sarikei, about an hour’s drive from Sibu, before he left for Kuala Lumpur around noon the next day.
Tony Thien
malaysiakini
17/11/08
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