PKR Sarawak loses yet another key man

Joseph Tawie | March 18, 2011

Sarawak PKR youth vice-chairman Granda Aing's exit from the party is expected to have a significant impact in at least six Bidayuh-majority seats.

KUCHING: A ‘disillusioned’ Sarawak PKR member, who was responsible for increasing the number of Bidayuh members in party, has quit the party.
Granda Aing, a successful businessman who was once PKR youth vice-chairman, said that there are so many problems in PKR central.
“There is just too many problems in PKR… Sarawakians should not be involved with their problems,” he said.
He said he was also against the ‘dirty’ (recently-held) party elections and was disillusioned by the many promises to Sarawak which were not fulfilled.

Granda has decided to return to his former party, Sarawak Nasional Party (Snap). He left Snap the party was in limbo following a leadership crisis.
In PKR, picking up quickly on his leadership abilities, he was appointed as the party’s political strategist.
He went on to set up the Mas Gading and Mambong divisions of PKR in 2008 and assisted another PKR leader Nicholas Bawin to set up the Lubok Antu division.
Granda is particularly known for recruiting Bidayuhs in Bau and Serian to join PKR.
Speaking to FMT recently, Granda said he expected more of his followers, including professionals and intellectuals, in Bau and Mambong divisions to resign from PKR and join Snap.
“I realise that Snap is the party where every loyal Sarawakian should pursue his political struggle.
“The party is firm and has not wavered in its struggle and principle since the days it was formed 50 years ago.
“Its history speaks volumes of its struggle,” Granda added, pointing out that he was attracted to Snap party following its rebranding exercise which began in December last year.
Snap received a reprive in June last year when the Court of Appeal ruled in its favour. Snap was deregistered on Nov 5, 2002 after a prolonged leadership struggle, but was given a stay of execution pending its appeal to the Court of Appeal.
“All of us who love Sarawak should support Snap. It is a local party led and guided by local people,” said Granda in obvious reference to PKR which is a peninsular-based party.
He said PKR leaders in Sarawak were not only appointed by KL but also “controlled by them from across the South-China Sea.”
“Baru Bian (Sarawak PKR chief) and Nicolas Bawin should leave PKR and join Snap to pursue our common struggle,” he added
Meanwhile Granda’s exit from PKR is expected to impact the party’s election strategy in at least six Bidayuh constituencies – Opar, Tasik Biru, Bengoh, Tarat, Kedup and Tebedu.
There are likely to be at least three-cornered fights in those seats where Snap is also putting its candidates.
So far Snap has identified candidates for Opar, Tasik Biru, Bengoh and Kedup.