KUCHING, Dec 16 — With Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) widely tipped to return to power in the state polls, the big question on Saturday night is whether they can secure an overwhelming majority to become the first all-Sarawak coalition to rule the state.
In 2016, the four component parties of the GPS contested under the Barisan Nasional (BN) banner and captured 72 of the 82 states. The winning margin was boosted by the victories of 11 direct candidates, five of whom have since left for the opposition Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).
With tomorrow the final day of campaigning, several battleground seats in both urban and rural areas are emerging as the swing factor on final outcome between GPS and its main rivals, DAP and the PSB.
GPS comprises Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP). With the direct candidates, they gained 88 per cent of the votes in the previous poll.
By Nov 3 when the state assembly was dissolved, the seats in the houses had reshuffled due to political realignments. GPS still had the biggest share of 68 seats, PSB six, DAP five, Bersatu one and a single independent.
GSP is contesting all 82 seats whereas DAP has fielded 26. PSB is entering the election for the first time with 70 candidates headlined by its band of BN direct winners and two PKR incumbents from 2016 now in the party.
In the urban belt, the tussle for Chinese votes in Kuching and Sibu is at its fiercest.
In the capital, the business hub of Padungan awaits a new assemblyman. It is a call between DAP state chief Chong Chieng Jen and Kuching South mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng, the SUPP candidate for GPS.
There are mixed views with Chong seen as having the edge because he is the party’s state chairman after all. The opposition party has come under fire for not keeping its promises for Sarawak when it was part of the short-lived Pakatan Harapan federal government.
“He is not guaranteed of a win, he has to fight for it,” said a Kuching businessman voter.
The Batu Lintang seat in the vicinity of Kuching could be a swing seat after two terms under PKR. It is expected to be a close fight between two-term incumbent See Chee How and GPS rival Sih Hua Tong.
See had to deal with views that he is a political frog because he is now with PSB. Sih has demonstrated his tenacity because despite losing twice, he continues to run a service centre there.
Bawang Assan and Dudong are the hotbeds in Sibu.
PSB president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, 79, is gunning for a seventh term in Bawang Assan from his previous days as a SUPP man. The oldest in the record field of 349 candidates, Wong’s years there and his relationship with the longhouse folks are seen to give him the upper hand.
However, he will have to reckon with the Bumiputera support that tends to favour government candidates. GPS has fielded Robert Lau Hui Yew, the SUPP Bawang Assan chairman in the five-cornered fight.
The result of Dudong will be keenly followed. It is the only eight-cornered contest in the polls and the once SUPP seat has been given to the vocal speaking PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
There are views he has too much on his plate already as the member of parliament for Bintulu and Malaysia’s Special Envoy to China, and questions linger whether the SUPP ground will rally behind him to fend off the competition.
“The rural fights are a bit different. Familiy ties, religion, the personal touch and candidates matter a lot. Many new faces are racing to introduce themselves and it is like touch-and-go because it takes five to seven hours sometimes to each a longhouse,” said Dr Jeniri Amir, a senior fellow of the Malaysian Council of Professors.
One of the most-watched rural fights is the five-way battle in the highlands for Ba’kelalan where incumbent Baru Bian is going for a third term under a different ticket. He retained the seat with a 538 majority in 2016 as PKR state chief but is now contesting under the PSB flag for the seat which has 8,503 voters.
The real fight is coming from Sam Laya of GPS who is also an ethnic Lun Bawang and a lawyer like Baru. Sam is a candidate from the PDP.
Telang Usan, Opar and Tamin are on watch as well. Interior seat Telang Usan, which was won by a thin majority of 167 in a straight fight in 2016, may be a tough one for GPS, and the coalition has retained Dennis Ngau to challenge for a third term in a five-way match being eyed by Gia Bala of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK), Philip Jau Ding (PKR) and Jau Jok of PSB.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency