SARAWAK’S ruling coalition, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), will have better cards to play with in the next state elections, compared with Warisan Plus in the recent Sabah elections, said analyst Prof James Chin.

This is because Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg can trumpet the fact the oil-rich state managed to get Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Petronas to pay billions of sales tax on petroleum products, while Warisan’s Mohd Shafie Apdal was not able to extract any such concession.

“Since this will be the first state elections under the GPS (banner), it will be all about the pact trying to assert its independence from the federal government and show (to Putrajaya) that Sarawakians are capable of ruling, with minimum federal interference,” said Chin, who is University of Tasmania’s director of Asia Institute and an observer of Sarawak politics.

Most pundits believe the Sarawak elections will be held in the first quarter of next year. GPS’ mandate expires next June.

There is also the view the state polls will be called soon after the federal government tables the national budget for 2021 next month, with expectations it will be an “election budget” that GPS can base its manifesto on.

Chin said Sarawak had long been vocal and assertive on issues concerning its identity and autonomy from Putrajaya.

It has gone to the extent of taking a break from the national education policy by setting up its own state-run international schools and television station.

The government has also set up its own petroleum company – to minimise the impact of national oil company Petronas’ decisions on its own oil and gas resources.

These moves have historical basis in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), when Sarawak and Sabah formed Malaysia with the peninsula as sovereign entities.

State rights activists, however, have said that rights under the MA63 have gradually been eroded over the years.

Many are also frustrated that despite Sarawak’s wealth in natural resources and taxes paid to Putrajaya, its infrastructure and human development are not on a par with Peninsular Malaysia.

Chin said in the case of the Sabah elections, GPS should look not so much at what it could learn, but how to take advantage of a divided opposition, referring to disputes between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) over seat allocations, and later, the chief minister candidate.

Political analyst Assoc Prof Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya also agreed, saying the fractious relationship between BN and PN, both in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah grouping for the state elections, is something GPS should observe and learn from.

Reaching consensus is important despite different opinions, while another lesson is never to squabble over posts in public.

Awang Azman was referring to the row between Umno and Bersatu on who should become chief minister and who gets what in the cabinet.

“Resolve disputes behind closed doors. There is no need to fight in public for the chief minister’s post.”

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister James Masing said the Sabah elections showed people could still be vocal and critical against Putrajaya about state rights and non-compliance with the MA63, and not suffer consequences for it.

“It (campaigning on state rights) has brought no negative impact to the federation of Malaysia.”

Masing said state-centric sentiments will likely be prevalent in Sarawak polls, as Sarawakians could be just as parochial, if not more, over state rights.

Campaigning for the return of state rights under the MA63 worked in the 2016 state elections for the then Sarawak Barisan Nasional coalition, which enjoyed a landslide victory.

Another Sarawak minister, Talib Zulpilip, said the GPS government must address any anger and dissatisfaction towards the administration in the run up to the state polls.

The minister in the Chief Minister’s Department said this was Warisan’s failure in Sabah, where many had complained promised aid did not reach them.

Warisan had also failed to address Sabahans’ concerns on illegal immigrants, added Talib, the Jepak assemblyman. – October 3, 2020.