WHEN Baru Bian lost his third election in 2006 – failing to wrest control of Sarawak’s Ba’kelalan state seat – he declared himself “three-strikes” out of politics and thought he would be ready to pack his bags and finally pursue his dreams of becoming a Bible teacher.

However, before he threw in the towel, the country experienced the political tsunami of 2008, where Barisan Nasional lost two-thirds of majority in Parliament and control of five states.

The 60-year-old PKR Sarawak chief and Selangau MP shelved his plans, and has never looked back since.

His first foray into politics came in 1987 in the now deregistered Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS).

After a leadership turmoil which ended in the party’s deregistration in 2004, Baru continued his political journey by joining PKR in April 2008 and by November 2009 he was already chairman of PKR Sarawak.

His passion has always been on defending native landowners, and has built a reputation as a campaigner for native customary rights.

Humble beginnings

Baru was born in Lawas to a rural school teacher-cum-Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) pastor and hails from the small Lun Bawang ethnic tribe.

When he passed his Senior Cambridge certificate in 1976, he was sent to Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang in faraway Miri.

After completing his Higher School Certificate, his first job was to follow in his father’s foot steps – as a temporary teacher at Medamit Secondary School in Limbang.

It lasted for only two years before he enrolled himself into University Institute of Technology Mara in Shah Alam for his Diploma In Law, which started him on the road to where he is today.

Baru read his law at Melbourne University in Australia.

When he returned home in 1986, he did his chambering at Messrs Rashid & Lee in Kuala Lumpur before he was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court in Malaya.

He returned to Kuching the following year and from 1987 to 1988, he worked as a legal assistant at Messrs Anthony Ting & Co.

In 1990, he became a partner of the firm and the following year, he opted to go on his own by opening his law firm Messrs Baru Bian Advocates & Solicitors.

Married to Yu Ching Sieu, they have three children – two of them Joshua Parir and Benjamin Bian are lawyers in his firm.

His third, a daughter Emmylyn Takong is still studying at the University of Adelaide in Australia.

With his appointment as works minister in the new Cabinet, Baru’s political life will continue to take centre stage for some years to come.

But he said that becoming a Bible teacher is something that he hopes to still do after he finally bats for the last time in politics. – July 2, 2018.