By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, June 8: Two well-known Sarawak political analysts do not believe Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) will be able to take over the reins of power in Sarawak from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in the coming State election.
In asserting this, both Professor Dr Jayum Jawan of University Putra Malaysia and Assoc Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi of University of Malaya said PSB will not be able to replace GPS due to the latter’s strength through power sharing.
“No. None whatsoever. It is good to aim high and dream big. But that aim and dream must also be based on reality ground. Otherwise they are fooling themselves.
“However, that said, I want to clarify that it does not mean that GPS cannot be defeated,” said Jayum when contacted by DayakDaily today.
Similarly, Awang Azman pointed out that while GPS represented multiple parties such as Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) which represent all the races in Sarawak such as the Dayak, Chinese, Malay and Melanau while PSB is just one-party entity.
“There is not one party in Sarawak that can rule the State without the cooperation of the other parties. So, PSB will find it difficult to replace GPS as it (GPS) has four components parties that complement each other,” said Awang Azman.
They were commenting on PSB’s Facebook post that its main mission in the coming 12th State election is to form the next State government with its intention to contest in at least 65 out of 82 seats in the State Legislative Assembly.
Besides aiming to take over the State government, PSB also made promises that it will develop Sarawak especially in the rural areas within three years after taking over the State administration.
Responding to this, Jayum said, manifesto is a promise made between men and for men and not cast in stone.
“Even promises made between men and women, in the presence of God are not immune to being broken. Take for example, when a man and a woman marries, they promised to love each other, be together in health and in sickness, and till death do they part. But many marriages crumble for various petty reasons,” said Jayum
Commenting on the same issue, Awang Azman said, every political party has a vision for the people.
“GPS (previously BN) takes longer time to bring the development such as clean water, electricity, schools, roads, clinics, hospitals take time as it is almost as big as the whole of Peninsula of Malaysia,” he said.
On a related issue, Jayum said it was wrong for PSB or any political parties to out rightly dismiss working with the federal government.
“Sarawak is one part of a federal system, and there is automatic relations between regional (Sarawak) government and the federal government as outlined in the federal constitution.
“It is wrong for any leader to dismiss that working relations regardless of who heads the regional (Sarawak) and the federal government.
“In fact it is not a wise position to proffer and gives appearance of a narrow and parochialistic outlook of a leader,” said Jayum.
Awang Azman reiterated that PSB’s claim to be able to be completely independent of co-operation of any party in Peninsular Malaysia would simply would not work.
“In order to succeed, PSB needs the cooperation of DAP, PKR and Amanah or other political entities. If it moves alone, it will be difficult to carry out its development agenda,” he said. —DayakDaily
