Tuesday 14 August 2012

What happened to PERSB?

KUCHING: Is the yet-to-be-registered Parti Ekonomi Rakyat Sarawak Bersatu (PERSB) dead or alive?

In July 2010, the party came out with all guns blazing saying they would contest in all 71 seats in the 10th state
election in order to unseat the state BN.

When the state election was called in April 2011, 15 of their leaders contested as independents, and all of them lost.

PERSB has been silent since then.

Most of its leaders could not be reached for comments as to whether they would be contesting in the pending 13th general election, while its pro-tem chairman Salleh Mahli has joined Umno.

Its former Northern Zone chief and spokesman Michael Jok, when contacted, said he was no longer its spokesman.

“I am not sure how the party is now. I believe those who are involved in it are still waiting for it to be approved.

“They may still wish to be registered so that they can have a platform to speak for their members who are mainly from the rural areas.”

Michael said he had no idea why the ROS had not given them a green light although its formation was the constitutional right of everyone.

“I am neither in the party nor out of it because PERSB has not been formed,” said Michael, who now considered himself “a friend” of PERSB rather than a member.

Michael said he was now focusing on his own company called Centre for Rights of Indigenous People of Sarawak (CRIPS) which helps rural folk deal with land problems.

“I am also writing history for longhouses and do community mapping for these longhouses.”

PERSB has a cooperative background of jatropha farming, and its members are mainly cooperative members living in the rural areas.

The party first submitted their registration to ROS in January 2010, and their second submission was made in June that year.





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