KUCHING, April 14 — The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) today launched its own manifesto, the first Barisan Nasional (BN) party to do so for the coming 11th Sarawak state election.

Its president, Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing officiated the launching ceremony at its headquarters here, witnessed by Wanita PRS chief, Datuk Sophia Brodie, PRS deputy president Datuk Joseph Entulu and other leaders and its members of parliament.

Also present were its seven incumbents and four new faces.

The colourful and picture-rich manifesto listed the achievements of the seven incumbents in the last five years and their pledges, and those of the new faces in the coming five years should they win.

In a media conference that followed, Masing said as a rural-based party, the manifesto reflected the basic needs of the rural population and party supporters.

He said the party decided to launch its manifesto first while the BN would launch the main one later because PRS had prepared for it for quite some time.

“There is no conflict between ours and that of the main BN manifesto. Our priority is better connectivity through more roads in rural areas. We want more amenities like schools and clinics, power and water supplies.

“We also want more employment opportunities for rural youths. To better equip them, we want technical scholarships,” he added.

Elaborating, Masing said when there were better road networks in rural areas, amenities like water and power supplies and communication towers to enhance internet connectivity could come.

“We certainly need more communication towers to address the digital divide between urban and rural areas. So, to the rural population, roads are very important as they will bring and speed up development and progress.

“We are very thankful that major roads like the Pan Borneo Highway and the Kanowit-Kapit Road are now in the implementation proceses,” he said.

Commenting on the DAP’s ‘Impian Sarawak’ where it had helped to implement minor projects like roads, water and plankwalk in rural areas, Masing dismissed them as mere political gimmick.

“They do just one or two and they shout about the achievements like the proverb where a chicken lays an egg, and it lets the whole world know about it.

“We, in the BN, we have been doing these for a very long time and we have done so much. We are like the turtles that lay thousands of eggs and we do not really tell the world,” he noted.

Masing said the PRS tagline for the poll would be: ‘United We Bargain, Divided We Beg’.

He was optimistic PRS would deliver all its 11 seats to the BN because it was now very strong and united, and would be able to ward off attacks from every front.

Nomination for the Sarawak state election is on April 25. Postal voting is on May 3 while polling is on May 7. — Bernama