S'wak to send largest-ever group to PKR meet

Sarawak PKR will be sending its largest-ever group of about 200 delegates and observers to the party’s national congress themed ‘Harapan Baru’ (New Hope) this weekend in Shah Alam, Selangor.

Previously, the state only sent a handful of representatives as it did last year too. But PKR is meeting on a vastly different atmosphere this year following its powerful showing in the March 8 polls.

Attention at this year’s congress, a non-election event to be attended by some 3,000 delegates and observers at Malawati Stadium in Shah Alam, is expected to be on Sarawak, the next target of Pakatan Rakyat’s planned takeover, as state assembly elections are scheduled in two years time.

“We will make Sarawak the 6th Pakatan Rakyat-controlled state government,” said state PKR chief and state assemblyperson for Padungan Dominique Ng at a press conference in Kuching this morning.

Seated next to him was Gabriel Adit, the independent state assemblyperson for Ngemah who joined the party recently along with some 6,000 of his supporters and the party’s state deputy chief Wan Zainal Wan Senusi.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim will host a special welcoming dinner for the Sarawak contingent at Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s residence on Friday night.

Moral very high

Ng said after the congress the party would get down on the ground in earnest to start the momentum after thousands of new members applied to join PKR in Sibu last week.

PKR national leaders, including Anwar, the Permatang Pauh MP and parliamentary opposition leader, would go down on the hustings to build up support for the party ahead of the next state elections, said Ng. He was also expressed confident that Pakatan Rakyat would oust the state BN government which had stayed in power for too long.

Within the next few months, there would be several major activities organised throughout the state, he added.

The party’s moral has been greatly bolstered by the entry of Adit, a veteran politician with a strong following in Kanowit.

Adit told the press conference the time has come to right the many wrongs and injustices perpetuated by the state BN government.

He cited the NCR land issue as one, and another the land lease renewal issue in the urban areas.

He said many people - Dayaks, Chinese, Malays and Melanaus - had been sidelined and marginalised by the present state government.

Adit said he hoped the same kind of co-operation between Pakatan Rakyat parties would be extended to Sarawak .