Letter to the Editor
By Prof Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan
The battle has been declared. The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) supreme council has decided that in the party elections on Oct 18 and 19, all positions are open to contest. It was also reported that all present office-bearers have declared that they will defend their respective positions in the party. The only visible incumbent not to have a position to protect is the party’s Youth leader, whose age might have disqualified him from seeking another term.
In the weeks to come, there will be realignment of supreme council members who are poised to support the present line-up and therefore would not challenge any position. There will also be a group that would want to capture and dominate the party leadership. In this respect, it is expected that the presidency will see a contest between the incumbent who seeks to return to that position and another who would want to dislodge him.
By virtue of their position in government and thus having the patronage, two possible challengers would be either or both Datuk John Sikie Tayai, who is a full minister in the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government and Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, who is a full minister in the Madani government. But what do each have to offer or show that they are capable of leading the party?
According to the Sarawak Premier’s website, John Sikie is a full minister in the Premier’s Department. This means he has no portfolio, and his work depends on what the Premier assigns him from time to time. Thus, his ability to back his leadership could not be clearly established, making it difficult for party members to assess.
In the press, John Sikie has been associated many times with issues related to ‘adat’ (customs) and native land. This is a no-win portfolio for him and those before him who have been tasked with the same matter. Thus, he has nothing much to show in this matter, and there are no new initiatives related to this matter during his time as a full minister in Sarawak.
Aaron Dagang is also not doing much better than John Sikie in terms of performance in his federal portfolio as Minister of National Unity. There have been no new initiatives that are more effective than previous programmes and policies. Most times, this minister talked about how good the relations between ethnic groups in Sarawak are and how that should be the example for the rest of the country to follow.
But this is an old cliché and is gaining less traction as relations deteriorate over the years due to perceived unequal treatment among the multiethnic elements in Sarawak. Most programmes from this minister and his ministry appear to be recycled from previous eras. In the last several years, divisive issues have continued, oblivious to what the ministry is doing.
When the two most eligible candidates to challenge the incumbent are weak, the chance of a sitting president retaining appears brighter. This assertion may be plausible, although the present president (Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum) seems to be weak, as he does not have any good and strategic positions compared to his junior members who are either full ministers or deputy ministers in Sarawak and at the federal level.
But this position from outside could be an advantage as he is not beholden to any power at the State or federal level. Salang does not seem to have much control over his representatives in Sarawak and in the federal government. Effectively, he should have been given senatorship and elevated as a full minister at the federal level instead of his junior. This would have been proper convention to partnering a component party.
For key positions such as president, as well as the Women and Youth leadership posts, the party could set an example by holding an open debate among the candidates, allowing them to address members directly before voting takes place.
This would give members the opportunity to hear the president’s vision for the party, the women’s leader’s plans to advance the role of women in PRS politics, and the youth leader’s strategies to prepare young members for their future roles in the party and beyond.
Prof Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan is currently a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and at the Institution of Malay Rulers Chair at UiTIM, as well as an Adjunct Professor of the Institute of Borneo Studies at UNIMAS.
This is the personal opinion of the author(s) and does not necessarily represent the views of DayakDaily. Letters to the Editor may be lightly edited for clarity.
— DayakDaily
