PKR today accused Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Masing of lying in his denial that the state Land and Survey Department had taken personal and banking details of Batang Ai residents for political reasons.

pkr sarawak malaysia day 190906 dominic ng The state's PKR leader Dominic Ng said that instead of denying the actions by the land department, Masing should explain to the people of Batang Ai as to why the departments needed such details.

"We believe this is again part of the pack of tricks of the state Barisan Nasional," said Ng.

He said this in response to Masing's remarks earlier today in defending the Sri Aman land department by stating that they never asked anyone to give them their bank account details.

"The residents of Batang Ai were never asked to give their bank account details to the land and survey department as claimed by Anwar," Masing had said today. He is also the state's land development minister.

The revelation was made by PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday after naming the party's candidate for the Batang Ai by-election, scheduled for April 7.

Ng also faxed a copy of the land department letter to Malaysiakini to prove that the details were being sought.

He expressed fears that the state BN would be resorting to money politics and dirty play in the run up to the by-election.

Ho hoped that the Batang Ai voters would not fall for such cheap tactics.

"The time of reckoning is now in the hands of the people of Batang Ai and they have the golden opportunity to set the pace that will dictate the politics in Sarawak if they vote for the PKR candidate," he said.

PKR aims to use the Batang Ai by-election as a spring board to its all-out campaign to wrest the state from BN in the coming state elections, due to be held by next year.

PKR's Jawah Gerang will be facing BN's Malcolm Mussen Lamoh in the by-election. Nomination is on March 29.

It's just a census

Masing, meanwhile, had rejected claims made by Anwar on the matter and said that PKR was trying to stir up emotions in Batang Ai to influence voters.

"This is a very serious allegation" he said.

james jemut masing He added that a letter was sent in order for the land department to offer resettlement assistance for the residences that had to move out to give way for a hydroelectric dam.

He said a letter dated March 13 was sent to longhouse chief at Nanga Ukom, Lubok Antu for this purpose.

The letter did not request for bank account details, he stressed.

He said that the residents were only asked to give copies of their identity cards because the department wanted to update its data and records.

It was also to enable the land department to survey the land and eventually issue them the land titles.

He added that since the residents of Batang Ai moved to their new resettlements in 1985 following the construction of the Batang Ai dam, the exact number of families was not known and this had caused them to be deprived of amenities.

This was the reason, Masing said, that some houses in the resettlements being without electricity despite being located near the hydroelectric dam.

"That is why we need to do a census. Once we know the results, then we will be able to plan how to assist them," he said.

Masing said that he was not surprised Anwar had picked on the issue, because he would do anything to sensationalise it.