By Lian Cheng
This is such a different election in the sense that one can’t truly predict the outcome to many constituencies in this 12th Sarawak Election.
There are in total 16 Chinese-majority seats, 29 Malay/Melanau-majority seats and another 37 seats made up by natives such as the Ibans, the Bidayuhs, the Orang Ulu and the Kedayans.
In general, it is known that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has a tight grip on Malay-Melanau seats as well as other non-Malay/Melanau Bumiputera seats as proven by the results of previous Sarawak Elections.
The Malay-Melanau seats held by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu’s (PBB) Bumiputera wing and the non-Malay/Melanau Bumiputera seats held by PBB Pesaka wing are all strongholds of GPS. They are the ‘fixed deposits’ which would take a near miracle for the Opposition to unseat the PBB incumbents.
Of the 37 Bumiputera seats, the Opposition can think of the eight Bidayuh seats as the community, living on the outskirt of towns, are now susceptible to latest political rhetoric and ideologies.
The other groups of Bumiputera seats that the Opposition may have a chance in are seats under Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
Surely enough, this is what Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) are after and focussing on – seats under PRS.
Word through the grapevine say that several seats under PRS are under intense threat from PSB and these seats are Balai Ringin, Batang Ai, Tamin, Pelagus and Baleh, which are five out of the total 11 seats GPS allocated to the party.
PSB itself is a splinter party from SUPP but it managed to gather politicians off-loaded by GPS due to various reasons, and those “ronin” politicians who were left partyless following power struggles within their previous parties.
These former GPS politicians pose a great threat as first of all, they know GPS’ modus operandi, and secondly, they themselves are influential local leaders after being politicians of the ruling coalition for a long time.
In Balai Ringin, though it is a three-cornered fight, PRS candidate Datuk Snowdan Lawan is facing tough opposition from PSB Sri Aman MP Datuk Masir Kujat who was former deputy minister.
In Tamin, PRS candidate Christopher Gira has to face-off with former PRS deputy president and also former federal deputy minister Datuk Joseph Entulu while in Batang Ai, PRS candidate Datuk Malcom Mussen has to take on former assistant minister Datuk William Nyalau, apart from his two other opponents from Parti Bumi Kenyalang and an independent.
In Pelagus, PRS incumbent Wilson Nyabong Ijang is defending hard against the assault from former Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Datuk Kristoffer Nyak Bajok and in Baleh, even though it is a four-cornered fight, PRS candidate Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Nicholas Kudi Masing is locking horns with Koh Kumbong, the brother of GPS’ Ulu Rajang MP Wilson Ugak Kumbong, whose family is deep-rooted in Baleh.
Due to the tough fight and uncertainties, these five seats are now seen as hot seats.
Apart from PRS, PSB also picks on SUPP’s Bumiputera seat.
In Simanggang, SUPP candidate Datuk Francis Harden Hollis is also defending hard against PSB candidate Wilson Entabang, a retired civil servant whose extended family is deep-rooted in the area.
While PSB is asserting pressure and concentrating its fire on PRS and SUPP seats, its backyard is on fire with its Bidayuh-majority Opar seat under siege by five other candidates with SUPP candidate Billy Sujang having the highest chance of being crown the victor.
PSB is also facing threat in Ba’kelalan, an Orang Ulu seat held by incumbent Baru Bian, a former deputy minister. Baru managed to retain the seat with a majority of 538. With PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing now returned his focus on Sarawak’s politics instead of his business in Peninsular Malaysia, PDP is expected to perform much better than previously where it is expected to wrestle back Bakelalan and Dudong from PSB.
Words on the streets of Sibu already predicted that Tiong will capture the Dudong seat for GPS in the historical eight-cornered fight.
Krian which is under PDP remains as a hot seat despite its incumbent Datuk Ali Biju’s (who is also Natural Resources and Energy Deputy Minister) continuous calling for voters not to choose him and him being campaigning for GPS candidate Friday Belk.
Words in Saratok town among the Chinese businessmen were that, they would remain faithful and on the day of polling, the Chinese community will defy Ali’s wish and vote for him.
As for the much-talked about Bidayuh-majority seat, Tebedu, held by Bidayuh paramount chief Dato Sri Michael Manyin before retirement is also seeing a lot of tough fight as Manyin’s successor Dr Simon Sinang Buda tussles with popular former Tebedu District Officer Raymond Achen.
However, based on PBB’s ever winning record, it is speculated that Sinang may suffer a bit of adversity, he will at the end of the day, triumph over Achen.
Meanwhile, out of the 16 Chinese-majority seats, the outcome of nine of them including Padungan, Pending, Kota Sentosa, Batu Lintang, Bawang Assan, Pelawan, Bukit Assek, Tanjung Batu and Pujut are still unpredictable.
The winds of change, or the tides of transformation of DAP had come to a standstill after Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over the Federal government for 22 months. Following PH’s failure to deliver its election promises, there has been great disappointment among its Chinese supporters.
For those who have no big issues against the ruling coalition, they may return to SUPP. But for those who have already built up a deep distrust or defence mechanism against the ruling coalition, they are lost.
Subsequently, they may either conveniently give up voting citing Covid-19 as an excuse or they may just vote for a local party out of reasons such as sympathy, protest or anger despite PBK, PSB and Aspirasi having too short a time or good opportunity to properly introduce their candidates. — DayakDaily
