KUCHING, Jan 30 — Former Saratok Member of Parliament and veteran politician Datuk Sri Edmund Langgu Saga has officially joined Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).
PSB President Datuk Sri Wong Soon Koh said Langgu is the latest political figure to join PSB, a breakaway of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP).
The others who have earlier joined PSB are Selangau Member of Parliament Baru Bian and Batu Lintang State Assemblyman See Chee How, both formerly from state PKR.
Wong said PBS is honoured to have Langgu a former deputy federal minister with vast experience in politics to join them.
“His presence in our party will definitely move the party to greater heights,” Wong said in a statement today.
He said Langgu, 85, has always helped to give voice to a multi-racial Sarawak in general and for the Dayak people in particular.
“He is an icon among the Dayaks, who has consistently defended Dayak rights, aspirations and recognition, and he is still a very much a respected leader,” he said.
Meanwhile, Baru said he never thought that Langgu would still want to be involved in the political development in Sarawak, given his age.
He said he has known the veteran politician since Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) days and found him to be the most consistent Dayak leader in the state.
“He stood firm for what we all believe in and what we want best for our people in Sarawak especially the Dayaks, that is, the preservation of our culture, recognition of our NCR land reclaiming of our rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” Baru said.
Wong said Langgu had an early interest in politics and was a delegate to meet the Cobbold Commission on the formation of Malaysia when it met in Saratok.
In 1963 he resigned from his teaching profession and was elected a councillor in Saratok District Council and a member of the then Second Division ‘Divisional Advisory Council’.
He was indirectly elected as a Member of Parliament that year. In 1975 he served as the leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
Following Sarawak National Party’s (SNAP) entry into the government in 1976, Langgu was made the Federal Deputy Minister of Agriculture and held that post until 1982.
He successfully defended his position as MP for Saratok for five successive elections from the first federal election in Sarawak in 1970 until 1986. He also successfully contested the Krian State seat under the Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) ticket in 1983 and was the assemblyman until 1991.
Langgu had also been appointed to various governmental bodies such as a Director of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, Chairman of the Federal Pepper Marketing Board, Chairman of the Land Transport Licensing Board (Lembaga Perlesenan Kenderaan Perdagangan), member of the Malaysian Public Accounts Committee, Sarawak, and the Brooke Dockyard Board.
