ONE of Sarawak’s pro-independence parties – Sarawak Aspiration People’s Party (Aspirasi) – will not be taking part in the general election.

Party president Lina Soo said the decision to opt out was a “collective decision of the party”, giving three reasons: the monsoon season and the Covid-19 public health threat – particularly in view of the fact a new mutant variant could occur any time.

“It seems the government is willing to risk the lives of its citizens over its political ‘Game of Thrones’ agenda, and Aspirasi will not be complicit in this,” she said.

Second, Soo said it is a “crowded marketplace” with too many parties competing “for the prize of a parliamentary seat”.

She said Sarawak is already so divided and, were Aspirasi to enter the fray, it would only cause split votes “to benefit certain parties”.

She added the party would not participate in the general election just to become a spoiler.

“Aspirasi will not enter the race just for the glamour of contesting and hidden agenda, knowing this will result in a split vote and give a skewed outcome, which does not reflect the will of the voters.”

The third reason she gave was that it is a federal election to choose the federal government and any endeavours to pursue Sarawak’s aspirations start in the state assembly, not parliament.

Soo said to go to parliament before carrying out the necessary legislative and constitutional process in the state assembly is like putting the cart before the horse.

“Sarawak issues must first come from our powerful state assembly to secure the constitutional mandate before going to the federal to give bite and meaning to our rights and interests.”

In August, Aspirasi penned a memorandum of understanding with two other parties, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDS) and Parti Sedar Rakyat Sarawak (Sedar), to go to the election as a registered coalition.

The coalition, which they had hoped to register with the Registrar of Societies as Gagasan Rakyat Sarawak, collapsed within days when Sedar trashed the MOU.

Aspirasi had earlier announced it would field candidates in the DAP held Bidayuh-majority seat of Mas Gading in Bau, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak held seats of Puncak Borneo and Serian and the Chinese majority seats and DAP strongholds of Bandar Kuching and Stampin.

“We went through a period of much agonising and soul-searching to decide if Aspirasi would send its candidates as had earlier announced. We finally decided to stay out of it,” Soo said. – November 5, 2022.