April file photo of PRS president Masing (left) and PRS secretary-general Salang. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE / The Star
KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) is considering taking legal action over a local newspaper report that its president Tan Sri James Masing suggested using up the state's RM31bil reserves on development projects in the next three years.
Masing had drawn flak after he was reported by the daily as saying at a dinner on Sunday (June 17) that the reserves should be spent before the next state election due in 2021, or the money will be used by a new government should Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) lose power.
According to PRS secretary-general Datuk Joseph Salang, Masing did not say that the state should empty its coffers but to spend what was necessary to provide basic infrastructure and amenities to rural folk who still lacked them.
“It is ironic if we have huge reserves and yet we are not able to provide infrastructure and utilities to our people.
“What (Masing) said was that since we have the reserves, we should spend what it takes to provide services to the communities who are crying for these facilities.
“Assuming we don't provide them with infrastructure even though we have the reserves, they will go against us. The consequence is that we may lose enough seats to the extent that we lose power.
“Since we have the reserves, we should use it judiciously for the benefit of the people,” Salang told a press conference at the PRS headquarters here on Wednesday (June 20).
He said the party was now considering legal action on the “spinning” of what Masing had said about the reserves.
Salang also defended Masing's call for the GPS coalition to become a single multiracial party, which had drawn criticism from other component party leaders.
“This is only a suggestion. Whether it is accepted or not by the other component parties, we do not know.
“If it is not accepted, of course we have to abide by the decision of all the component parties, so there is no question that our president is demanding or dictating to the other parties to accept our suggestion,” he said.
GPS was formed when the Sarawak parties of PBB, SUPP, PRS and PDP left the Barisan Nasional national coalition on June 12 to set up a state-based coalition.
Salang added that PRS was not looking to leave GPS should its proposal for a single multiracial party be turned down.
“We have just got out of Barisan, we are not talking about getting out of GPS.
“Since GPS is not yet registered, we are just suggesting what would be perhaps a ‘sellable’ structure that voters would consider acceptable,” he said.
In the event that the other component parties decide against the idea of a single multiracial party, Salang said PRS would be willing to take in smaller Sarawak-based parties in order to be a more inclusive component party of GPS.
He said these included parties like PBDS Baru, Sarawak Workers Party and State Reform Party Sarawak, which had previously contested against PRS.
“We (want to) consolidate those who want Sarawak to be represented by Sarawakians. We are opening our doors to them,” he said.
