KUCHING (Aug 17, 2011): A group of non-partisan politicians has submitted an application to register Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) with the Registrar of Societies (ROS), it is revealed today.
ROS Sarawak director Ken Leben, when contacted, confirmed receiving PBK’s application, but decline to give details and the names of protem committee members.
“All I can say is that the application to register PBK was received last year, and I have forwarded it to our Kuala Lumpur headquarters for a decision,” he said.
He said there was no problem with the documentation submitted to register PBK.
He said PBK is formed by a group of Dayaks and Chinese politicians, believed to be friendly to the Barisan Nasional (BN).
“As far as I can recall, there is no Malay in the protem committee,” Leben said, adding that he received applications to register three other political parties last year.
The three parties are Peace Party, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) Baru and Parti Ekonomi Rakyat Sarawak Bersatu (PERSB).
A group of Malay businessmen and former politicians are believed to be behind the formation of Peace Party while PBDS Baru was formed by former supporters of the defunct PBDS while PERSB is formed by a group of jatropha farmers and businessmen.
PBDS was deregistered by the ROS on Oct 21, 2004 following prolong leadership crisis.
Leben said he had also forwarded the applications by the three parties to Kuala Lumpur for a decision.
“There were no problems with their documentations submitted to ROS,” he said.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Dr James Masing, when asked, suspected that a businessman is involved in the PBK’s formation.
However, efforts to contact the businessman through his mobile cell were unsuccessful.
Talk is that PBK, although claiming itself to be Barisan Nasional-friendly, is eyeing 10 parliamentary seats currently held by PRS and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), both component parties of the state BN, in the coming general elections.
PBK is hoping to be registered before the general elections so it can put up candidates in the Dayak-majority seats.
SPDP deputy secretary-general Paul Igai, when asked, said he does not know why the new party wants to contests in seats held by the BN component parties when it claims itself to be Barisan-friendly.
