Sit out Sarawak elections to ensure future GPS backing, PKR told

July 30, 2024

Sit out Sarawak elections to ensure future GPS backing, PKR told

PETALING JAYA: A political analyst has suggested that PKR sit out the next Sarawak state elections so that party leader and prime minister Anwar Ibrahim can be assured of the support of Gabungan Parti Sarawak after the next general election.

Council of Professors fellow Jeniri Amir said if PKR fields candidates at the Sarawak elections, which must be held by April 2027, leaders of GPS, Sarawak’s ruling coalition, will question PKR’s commitment to working together at the federal level.

The federal government is formed by PKR and its partners in Pakatan Harapan in alliance with Barisan Nasional, GPS, GRS and Warisan. The alliance commands a two-third majority in the Dewan Rakayt.

Jeniri said Anwar must seriously consider the political implications of contesting the Sarawak elections.

“If PKR doesn’t go up against GPS at the state level, GPS will fully support them at the federal level – and that’s more important. PKR should be working to retain GPS’s support so it will still be in power after the next general election,” said Jeniri.

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“PKR knows they will lose (at the Sarawak elections), and this will have a negative bearing on them at the federal level. There’s no point in fighting a giant when you know you will lose.”

Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg recently quipped that GPS’s dominance in the state assembly means DAP and PKR “do not exist” in the state. Abang Johari, who is GPS chairman, said the coalition has no qualms about going up against Pakatan Harapan, whose chairman is Anwar.

Last September, Abang Johari said GPS will contest all 82 seats. He said no discussions were held with federal government coalition parties on seats to be contested.

At the 2021 Sarawak elections, PKR lost all the 28 seats it contested. Its PH partner DAP won only two of its 24 contests and Amanah lost in its eight contests. At the 2016 elections, DAP had won seven seats and PKR three.

Jeniri said the departure of key PKR leaders like Baru Bian has divided Sarawak PKR, which he said is now unable to win seats in Sarawak as it has “lost its fangs” and is “lifeless”.

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Baru, who is Selangau MP, was among 11 MPs who left PKR in February 2020, a move which eventually led to the collapse of the PH government after 22 months in power.

Jeniri added that while DAP Sarawak seems to be a shadow of their former selves, the party is still capable of winning seats in urban areas and look to be GPS’s main challengers for urban seats.

Another analyst, Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya, said the presence of PKR and DAP in Sarawak as opposition parties plays a crucial role in maintaining integrity, accountability, and good governance in the state.

James Chin of the University of Tasmania, said that GPS’s continued dominance would be detrimental to good governance and democracy.

He said PKR and DAP’s supporters would expect their parties to continue contesting state elections, failing which the support base for the parties would essentially disappear.

Chin also said PKR and DAP should focus on how best to communicate the need for PH representatives in the state to serve as a check and balance to GPS.

“The question is how do you sell that message, which is very difficult to do,” he said.