Speaking to FMT, the party’s secretary-general, Joseph Salang Gandum, said PRS had wanted a single party to better ensure the four Sarawak-based parties stuck together, rather than being four separate parties as part of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
“We discussed it within the party and agreed with the idea for a single multiracial party. That is the stand we took and wanted to suggest to the state.
“But if this idea is not accepted by the others, while being in the GPS, we will open our doors to those from smaller parties, those who contested against us and those who left us.
“There was never any talk of us leaving GPS. We want to be inclusive.”
It was recently reported that a war of words had broken out between leaders of the GPS parties over the nature of its organisation, with PRS wanting a single multiracial party.
On a separate matter, Joseph said the party was mulling legal action against Sarawak daily, Borneo Post, over an article which had allegedly misquoted PRS president and Deputy Chief Minister James Masing.
Joseph said at a recent event, Masing was giving a speech in which he noted that Sarawak had RM31 billion in reserves and that there were cries from the people for better infrastructure like roads, water and schools.
“Tan Sri (Masing) said that the state should spend to meet the needs of the people and that if the state didn’t spend accordingly, the people will be unhappy and they will vote for the opposition, who could use the reserves to build infrastructure.”
Joseph said that the Borneo Post allegedly reported Masing as saying the state should “use up” its reserves. This led to a backlash in the social media.
He added that the Borneo Post should have clarified Masing’s remarks and noted that other media outlets present didn’t use the word “use up” in their report.
The former Julau MP also said that the state’s RM31 billion in assets could be in the form of cash and fixed assets, so it wouldn’t make sense for Masing to say “use up” all the reserves.
Masing: Spend RM31 billion reserves on projects before state polls