Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian (above) is issuing letters of demand to three top brass in Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) over a press statement the party issued today.

The statement issued by PBDSB information chief Bobby William had stated, “the lawyer” from PKR must clear his name because a police report was lodged against him in a native customary rights (NCR) land case.

In an immediate response, Baru Bian rubbished the statement as “baseless”.

He also said he had been reliably informed that PBDSB’s press statement had been sent to the media and posted on several Facebook platforms, WhatsApp chat groups.

“Although my name is not mentioned, it is clear that the only person who fits the description of a PKR lawyer, assemblyperson and MP is me.

Baru Bian is the assemblyman for Ba’ kelalan and the newly-minted MP for Selangau.

“It is telling that members of PBDSB do not have the courage or conviction to mention my name but resort to this cowardly act of allusion.

According to him, the press statement was based on a police report lodged on Nov 22, 2016 by one Nickodemus anak Singgai against him.

“We are taking action against the complainant and his lawyer for defamation and libel, and the matter is now pending in court,” he said.

He said the complainant who lodged the report did not bother to pursue the matter with the police and no charge was ever proffered against him.

“Since this matter is now in the public domain, I will be sending letters of demand to PBDSB information chief Bobby William, party president Cobbold John, party youth chief Rapelson Richard Hamit and any other individual who is disseminating this defamatory statement,” Baru Bian said.

Attempts by Malaysiakini to reach the PBDSB trio were not successful.