KUCHING, Nov 3 — Gagasan Anak Dayak Sarawak (GADS) regards the state’s late Deputy Chief Minister, Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing who passed away last Sunday, as a highly respected Dayak leader and the backbone of the association’s success.
GADS vice-chairman, Albert Lawrence said since the association’s establishment in 2015, the late Masing was among its advisors who had given the most support as he wanted to see more people from the Dayak community, especially the youth, to venture into business and succeed in it.
“This, according to him, would be the key to success in uplifting the Dayak community’s economy.
“His seriousness about seeing more Dayak individuals succeed in business included he (Masing) himself going to the ground in support of every activity carried out by the association, for example, the Gawai Dayak Bazaar held for the first time in Miri then.”
Albert said this to reporters at a religious ceremony in honour of the late Masing, held at the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) building in Jalan Stampin, here, today.
Meanwhile, GADS secretary-general Cilla Balla described the late Masing as a fantastic leader who encouraged the association to achieve its objective of progress for the Dayak community.
“He was soft spoken. His advice went straight to your heart as you knew that he cared and as a leader, he had always there for you. He tried to push us as Dayak entrepreneurs to play a bigger role in the economy. His contributions had all this while been priceless to us,” she said.
Masing’s remains were scheduled to be taken to the Nirvana Memorial Park, here, for burial at 2 pm after the last respects given to him.
Masing, who was also the assemblyman for Baleh, died at the Normah Sarawak Medical Centre (NSMC) in Petra Jaya, Kuching at 7.05 am last Sunday, He was aged 72.
The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Sarawak General Hospital in September after being confirmed positive for COVID-19 and was later transferred to NSMC for further treatment.
Source: BERNAMA