KUCHING, Aug 6 — State PKR Baram branch chairman Roland Engan has been appointed as the new Sarawak PKR chairman, effective today, party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced.
Anwar said he made the appointment after consulting all the branch chairmen in a meeting at the state PKR headquarters here.
“Although the president has the prerogative or discretion to make the appointment, my practice is to seek the views of all branch chairmen in Sarawak,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting here.
“We discussed it among the branch chairmen, and we reached a consensus so that the new chairman will harness the energy of veteran leaders as well as women members,” he said.
Anwar said Engan will begin his duties today by meeting with other state leaders, and then present views to the party leaders at the federal level next week.
Hulu Rajang branch chairman Abun Sui Anyit was appointed as the deputy chairman.
Other appointments in the state leadership council will be made after the branch chairmen have held their meeting.
Engan replaced Julau MP Larry Sng, who resigned from PKR to form Parti Bangsa Malaysia as its president.
Anwar also said state PKR has yet to finalise the candidates for Sarawak in the general election, although election committees have been set up at both the state and federal levels.
“Some of the candidates are here, but their names will be announced at the right time,” he said.
Anwar said although the party did not perform well in the last state election, he said he was encouraged to have received reports from branch chairmen on the efforts to concentrate on issues such as the rising cost of goods, native customary land rights, poverty and the income gap.
“We should not be too tired to bring up these issues, whether at the state or national level,” he said.
