Masing says meeting with Najib ‘useful and fruitful’

FRUITFUL MEETING: PRS top leaders in a group photo with Najib (centre) at Putrajaya yesterday. Masing is at sixth left. Also in the picture are (from left): PRS Youth chief Datuk Mong Dagang, Masir, supreme council member Liwan Lagang, Aaron, PRS Wanita chief Datuk Sophia Brodie, Entulu, vice-president Datuk John Sikie Tayai, Salang, Nyallau, Ugak and PRS secretary-general Datuk Wilfred Rata Nissom.

KUCHING: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak acknowledged the contribution of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) to Barisan Nasional’s (BN) win in the 13th general election and would consider its request, revealed PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing.

Masing said the meeting with the prime minister in Putrajaya yesterday had been “useful and fruitful”.

“Issues related to PRS’ ‘kawasan’ (constituencies) were discussed and this includes the possible placement of Datuk Joseph Salang where his expertise could be put into better use,” Masing told The Borneo Post here yesterday.

During its supreme council meeting on Thursday last week, the party voiced its dissatisfaction over its lack of representation in the federal cabinet as announced by Najib on May 15.

During that meeting, Masing had said he would write to the prime minister to discuss the matter and to recommend to him a better representation from the party.

On the vacant post of deputy minister of tourism and culture which was slotted for Salang, Masing said the party would leave it to Najib to decide who among the remaining four PRS MPs would be most suitable to take up the post. The four MPs are Masir Kujat (Sri Aman), William Nyallau Badak (Lubok Antu), Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang (Kanowit) and Wilson Ugak Kumbong (Hulu Rajang).

“I have written to the PM on our replacement for Salang and I believe he will decide what is best for PRS and BN,” said the minister of land development.

When asked what Salang would be getting and when the appointment of the deputy minister of tourism and culture allocated to the party would be made, Masing said the party had left it to the discretion of the prime minister.

Meanwhile, PRS deputy president Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun had taken up his post as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department after the party lobbied for it following his initial appointment as a deputy minister.

Now that the meeting with the PM had taken place, Masing said he would leave it to him how best to accommodate PRS’ request for better representation in the federal cabinet.

“Amidst rumours of PRS unhappiness regarding the ministerial appointments, we assure the prime minister that our party will sink and swim with BN,” he assured.

In the last general election, BN won 133 seats.

The majority of the seats were contributed by Umno with 88 seats; followed by PBB (14 seats), PRS (six), SPDP (four), SUPP (one) and other BN component parties from West Malaysia and Sabah (20 seats).

(Source: The Borneo Post)