KUCHING – The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) supreme council has placed the task on its Baleh division to recommend an election candidate to replace its incumbent assemblyman and PRS president Tan Sri James Jemut Masing, who died today.
PRS deputy president Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said the council in a meeting today has asked Baleh division office-bearers to meet as soon as possible to come up with their decision as part of the preparation to face the coming 12th Sarawak election.
“We previously decided to retain all our incumbents for the coming election, and the party (before this) had done all the preparatory work to defend Baleh seat.
“Now, our task is to select the most suitable candidate for the seat (following Masing’s demise),” he said.
He told reporters after chairing the PRS supreme council meeting at its headquarters here to discuss several matters including the funeral arrangement for Masing who died this morning at Normah Sarawak Medical Centre here.
“We may not have other opportunities to group all our supreme council members before the election and today, we discussed among ourselves what we had actually resolved all along with the late Tan Sri (Masing before his demise),” he told reporters after the meeting.
Apart from the Baleh seat which Masing had held for eight terms since 1983, the other 10 state seats currently occupied by PRS are Balai Ringin, Bukit Begunan, Batang Ai, Ngemah, Pelagus, Belaga, Murum, Tamin, Samalaju and Kakus.
Meanwhile, Salang said as the deputy president of PRS, he had no choice but to abide by the party’s constitution to assume the leadership role of the party following the passing of Masing as the president, as the party’s election will only be held after the state election. – Bernama, October 31, 2021
