Age and experience vital in governing Sarawak, Masing tells young Dayak politicians

KUCHING (Dec 11): Parti Rakyat Sarawak president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing has today told aspiring young Dayak politicians that their youth is no substitute for age and experience in the administration of the state.

“It’s good to know that young Dayak turks have high hopes of what they could and wish to achieve for their communities. That’s a good start. But they haven’t gone through the ‘battle fields’ of politics as I and some veteran Dayaks YBs have,” he said after he was urged to retire.

Masing, who is a deputy chief minister, said in a statement that youths lacked the experience and skills to balance between the pushes and pulls of governing a multi-racial state like Sarawak.

“To achieve the correct balance is easier said than done. Political bravado and emotion are not good enough to do the job,” he said.

Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) president Bobby William had told Masing to retire and let others take over since he said earlier this week that the fight for a Dayak-centric government was “a lost cause.”

Masing pointed out today that to be successful administrators of the state, all elected representatives required the assistance of all stakeholders in the country and therefore, age and experience in politics are very valuable assets in governing Sarawak.

“Youth may offer vitality, but age and experience provide wisdom in administering and guiding this nation to move forward peacefully.

So please don’t mistake youth as a good and only replacement for experience in politics,” he said.

Masing had said on Wednesday that many young Dayaks today believed that their leaders had not fought for their community, not realising that PBDSB’s predecessor Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak had tried to unite the community between 1987 and 1994.

He said he was now too old to fight for a lost cause and that the Dayaks should instead work together with other communities for the benefit of all Sarawakians.

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