KUCHING, Dec 11 ― Veteran politician Tan Sri Dr James Masing today advised young Dayak politicians to get more experience before they can expect to take over the Dayak political leadership in the state, in a response to a call for him to retire from active politics.
The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president said it was good to know that the young Dayak politicians have high hopes of what they could do and wish to achieve for their community.
“But they have not gone through the battlefields of politics as some of us veteran Dayak elected representatives experienced before.
“The young politicians don’t have the experience and skills to balance the pushes and pulls of governing a multi-racial state like Sarawak as some of us having more experience,” the 71-year old politician said when asked to respond to a call for him and other veteran Dayak politicians to retire to pave the way for young Dayak politicians to take over.
Masing, who first won the Baleh constituency in 1991 while he was with Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), said political bravado and emotions were not good enough to achieve the correct balance to govern Sarawak.
Masing, who is the deputy chief minister, said the elected representatives need the assistance of all stakeholders in the country to be successful administrators.
“Therefore, age and experience in politics are very valuable assets in governing Sarawak,” he said, adding that youth may offer vitality, but age and experience provide wisdom in administrating and guiding this nation to move forward peacefully.
“So do not mistake youth as a good and only replacement for experience in politics,” he said.
Masing, however, declined to respond to a call to him to retire from politics.
Yesterday, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) president Bobby William said his party would continue to voice the aspirations of the Dayak community both at the state and national levels.
He had said there was nothing wrong of being ambitious Dayaks, not to mention PBDS, but all Dayaks across Malaysia, to take over from the veterans.
Bobby was commenting on Masing’s earlier statement that it was a lost cause for the Dayaks to fight for a Dayak-centric administration in Sarawak, which PBDS failed to achieve in 1987 and 1991.
He said the veteran politician was underestimating the ability and capability of the young Dayak politicians who wish to see the Dayaks taking a leading role in the state’s politics.
He urged Masing to retire and let others lead the Dayak community since he was saying that his fight for a Dayak-centric government was over.