We won’t beg, says protem PBDS chief

A bitter PBDS Baru chief has discounted any possibility of appealing to the BN-ruled government if its application is rejected

KUCHING: Whilst some parties are seeing ‘overnight’ approval of their Registrar of Societies (ROS) applications, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) Baru’s 100,000 members however are still waiting – two years on – for the nod from the Home Ministry.

PBDS pro-tem president Louis Jarau said althought ROS has ‘cleared’ their application, the ministry had yet to inform them of their decision.

“I received a call from the Registrar of Societies a couple of weeks ago that the application has been ‘cleared’ by ROS.

“They told me it has been passed to the ministry for approval.

“We are still waiting for the ministry to inform me of the outcome of the application,” Jarau told ex- PBDS supreme council members during a re-union dinner in Kuching on Saturday.

Jarau said PBDS Baru will not go on bended knees and beg the ministry for approval.

“It is up to them (the ministry) to approve it or not. I will not beg for it to be registered and it is no point appealing (if ministry rejects) because the (current BN) government will not approve it. We have that bitter experience,” he said.

Jarau said there were currently more than 100,000 ex-PBDS members who have refused to join other parties and were anxious to know the status of their application.

Having said that, he added that PBDS Baru will wait for a new government – alluding toPakatan Rakyat – which “may be more sympathetic to the Dayak community.”

Before forming PBDS Baru, Jarau was the pro-tem secretary general of Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) which was submitted for registration after PBDS was deregistered on Oct 21, 2004.

It was supposed to take over PBDS, but the Home Ministry refused to register it, saying that it was not in the ‘national interest’.

‘PBDS synonymous with Dayak hopes’

MDC was also strongly rejected by Sarawak BN leaders especially the Dayak leaders in Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and in the Pesaka wing of Parti Bumiputera Bersatu.

At the time PBDS was deregistered, it had about 148,000 members. Some of them had joined PRS, SPDP and PKR.

Meanwhile Daniel Tajem, who was the president of PBDS before its deregistration told the gathering that their presence had renewed the spirit and struggle of the Dayak community which was left unfinished.

“PBDS was synonymous with Dayaks’ aspirations and hopes. It was their voice. It was the defender of their rights especially on native customary rights (NCR) land which is now under seize.

“Thus, PBDS’ deregistration was not only the cruelest thing the authorities did to the Dayak community, but it was also a deliberate attempt to undermine the unity and strength of the community,” he added.

He called for more reunion dinners as a platform to bring together all the hardcore members of the defunct party.

The next dinner will be held in Sibu.