THE next Sarawak elections will be decided by Sarawakians defending the rights of their state against Malaya’s continued attempt at hegemony, Deputy Chief Minister James Masing said as he trashed the findings of a survey indicating less support for the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition in Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu majority seats.

The president of the predominantly-Dayak Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) said the sentiment for the state election will be different from that of last May’s 14th general election.

Merdeka Centre executive director Ibrahim Suffian, speaking at the seminar “GE14: An Analysis”, said preliminary data from GE14 indicated a drop in support for GPS and its lynchpin, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) from these indigenous communities.

Ibrahim said it was found that Orang Ulu, Bidayuh and Iban support for GPS had dropped to about 50% from 55-60%.

The four GPS components – PBB, PRS, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) – were formerly members of the Barisan Nasional coalition

Ibrahim said Malay-Melanau support for PBB dropped by 1-2% and non-Muslim Bumiputera support by 5-10% from theseats, therefore the Dayak seats are no longer ‘safe’.

In GE14, the PBB-led coalition lost 12 seats.

Masing said the centre appeared to have assessed the situation using a different yardstick.

“The 2021 state election is a simple test: Are you a Sarawakian defending Sarawak rights?

“It’s a Malaya versus Sarawak thing. It’s a simple political argument.”

In the last Sarawak election in 2016, voters ditched DAP, which had based its campaign on getting rid of former prime minister Najib Razak, in favour of Sarawak BN, which was demanding the return of the state’s rights and full compliance with Malaysia Agreement 1963.

DAP lost half of the 12 seats it held before the elections. – January 19, 2019.