PARTI Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) said it wants to contest the new parliamentary and state constituencies that will be created in the rural heartlands of Sarawak under the ongoing electoral boundary redelineation exercise by the Election Commission.
Party president Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said the party wants to contest the new seats since the rural heartlands are native majority areas.
"We are asking for the new seats that will be created as we feel that our party is the best party in the GPS to contest in the rural heartlands.
"Since these areas are traditionally native populated, we in PRS know the needs of the rural voters.
"The natives of Sarawak must have more elected representatives to fight for their rights.
"We natives want more representatives in Parliament and the Sarawak Assembly," he said during the PRS 20th anniversary dinner gathering last night in Kuching.
Salang said PRS expects its GPS partners to understand the need for more native-elected representatives since at least 60 per cent of Sarawakians are natives.
PRS has 12 elected representatives in the 81-seat State Assembly plus five MPs in the Dewan Rakyat now.
Yesterday, the party announced there will be open contests for all top posts in PRS, the biggest Dayak political party in this state which is a GPS ruling state government component.
The contests will be for the party president post, deputy president, vice presidents and all other posts in the central leadership as well as in all branches statewide. - October 28, 2024