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KUCHING: Sarawak Pakatan Harapan is expected to propose that a chief ministerial candidate Dayak be appointed to lead the opposition parties in the twelfth state election.
Sarawak PKR President Larry Sng said the candidate did not need to be a party chair or PH chair, just a Dayak.
Earlier in a Facebook post, Sng wrote that the Dayaks are the majority in Sarawak, but their areas are the poorest and most underdeveloped.
On Monday, Sng announced his decision to step down as PKR chairman, after leading the party for nine months, and said he believed the party could do better if it were led by a Dayak. But today, the party rejected his resignation.
Sng said that he had discussed the proposal with state PKR leaders and coalition partners, including Sarawak DAP President Chong Chieng Jen, who is also the state PH president.
“I have spoken with Chong and he is open to the idea of appointing a Dayak candidate to lead. We will discuss it more in the coming weeks, ”he said when contacted.
Sng said PH would continue to discuss seating arrangements with Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) to avoid overlapping seating.
“PSB’s views (on Dayak’s chief minister candidate) will be considered if they can resolve the seat negotiations with us.
“If the central leadership of PKR and the state coalition partners accept my proposal to have a candidate for Chief Minister Dayak to lead PH in the next state elections, I am willing to consider staying as the state president of PKR,” he said.
He added that he has no problem working with PSB in the interest of the people, especially the Dayaks. “If we want to win, we have to work together.”
Sng said it was extremely unfair that the Dayak, the majority in Sarawak, were still poor compared to other races in the state. Although the chief ministers had claimed to represent all races, the dayak were marginalized in all respects.
“If we have a Dayak prime minister, I think they will be given more focus and opportunities.”
The late Stephen Kalong Ningkan was Sarawak’s chief prime minister from 1963 to 1966. He was succeeded by the late Tawi Sli, from 1966 to 1970, who was also the last Dayak to serve.
