THE latest political development to rock Peninsular Malaysia will not have an effect on the Sarawak ruling coalition, said analysts.

They told The Malaysian Insight Gabungan Parti Sarawak is expected to stay neutral after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that his party’s support for Perikatan Nasional (PN) partner Bersatu will end together with the government’s term.

Universiti of Malaya’s Awang Azman Awang Pawi said GPS will not side with either Bersatu or Umno in the fight.

“This is purely a matter between the two parties,” he said.

This is because whatever happens on the peninsula, GPS “is in a very comfortable position”, he said.

He said any uncertainties across sea will have little significance for the state or GPS.

Awang Azman said as GPS is not formally allied to PN, ties between the two could end if the Sarawak coalition decides not to cooperate with Bersatu in the state elections.

In fact, the fighting over on the peninsula will once again put Sarawak leaders in the enviable position of being the kingmaker whose support will determine who has majority , he said,

He said GPS has put itself in such a position by showing “flexibility” and “pragmatism” in matters of politics.

At the end of the day, GPS will support whoever comes up tops and help the party to form the government, he said.

On whether GPS might consider returning to the BN for the general election, Awang Azman dismissed the suggestion outright, saying BN has little to offer.

The four components of GPS, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, Parti Rakyat Sarawak, Sarawak United People’s Party, and Progressive Democratic Party, were formerly in Sarawak BN.

Over the weekend, the Umno general assembly agreed to cease cooperating with Bersatu in the next elections.

The delegates accepted the resolution proposed by the Umno Supreme Council dated February 19. Umno, however, will remain in the PN government until parliament is dissolved.

Zahid in his speech at the AGM said Umno will work with neither PKR, DAP nor Bersatu.

University of Tasmania’s James Chin said while GPS will not get embroiled in the fight, it will still make good its promise to support Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the PN coalition he leads.

“If there is going to be a shake up in Putrajaya, it makes no difference because GPS is not a formal member of PN,” said Chin who is the university’s director of its Asia Institute.

“If Umno follows through with its threat to pull out of the government and force an early general election, GPS will stand back and watch and it will likely go with the winners again.”

That, he said, could even happen if the BN comes out on top though he doubts GPS will have any loyalty to the coalition.

He, however, is of the opinion that GPS prefers Muhyiddin and the PN to survive “because they received a lot of special deals from Muhyiddin”.

“So of course they are hoping he will survive so he could implement all those special deals. In some way, I am sure the GPS leadership is actually quite happy with what’s going on.

“The turbulence in Malayan politics will only reinforce the fact that Sabah and Sarawak will be key players (in national politics),” Chin said.

Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg, meanwhile, declined to take questions on Zahid’s announcement.

“Let them fight with each other on the other side. We don’t have any quarrels here,” the chief minister said. – March 31, 2021.