THE change in the country’s political landscape and the fact that PKR president Anwar Ibrahim is the prime minister will not do much to revive the political fortunes of Sarawak PKR, analysts said. 

Analysts do not believe Sarawak PKR will emerge anytime soon from the political rut they have been in for the last two years to become a force to be reckoned with in future elections. 

Not until there are some sweeping changes made to the party, they said. 

“PKR is the backbone of the federal government and with Anwar the prime minister, it can change the fortunes of Sarawak PKR,” Universiti Putra Malaysia political analyst Jayum Jawan told The Malaysian Insight. 

Universiti Malaya’s political expert Awang Azman Awang Pawi concurred. 

“Sarawak PKR needs to take advantage of Anwar’s position now if they want to restrengthen the party and further increase its profile in Sarawak,” he said. 

One of the ways, he added, is for the party to be actively involved in federal government programmes that are being implemented in the state. 

“With activities like these, they can attract the attention of the local communities and prove that PKR could also serve well if given the opportunity and space.” 

However, Jayum and his peer in University of Tasmania James Chin felt it would be a long haul for PKR. 

The party was wiped out in the 2021 Sarawak state elections, losing all 28 seats it contested. It won three in the previous election in 2016. 

In the just concluded general election (GE15), it was successful in retaining only the Miri seat compared to four – Puncak Borneo, Saratok, Selangau and Miri – that it won in the previous general election. 

Chin said he does not doubt that Sarawak PKR will exploit the situation by going around telling people that it is now part of the federal government to strengthen their position. 

That, Chin said, would not help much to stop the rot. 

“Their problem is much bigger. They simply don’t have a clear and prominent leader ever since Baru Bian left,” Chin said, alluding to the former Sarawak PKR chairman who had been its Ba Kelalan assemblyman and Selangau MP until his sacking in January last year. 

Chin said Sarawak PKR has since found it hard to find a leader of equal stature and “who stands for the PKR brand in Sarawak”. 

Currently, the state chairman is lawyer Roland Enggan whose most notable achievement is his three failed attempts to gain the rural Baram parliamentary constituency in 2013, 2018, and the last general election. 

“Finding a very strong leader who can lead them into the next election is the most important thing. 

“Until they find that leader, whatever they do will be very difficult,” Chin said. 

Finding one could be far off 

“I have not seen any upcoming young leaders who have the potential,” Chin said. 

He said Sarawak PKR is unlike Sarawak DAP, its coalition partner, who seemed to be able to churn out young potential leaders. 

“The problem in Sarawak PKR is due to its personality-based politics.” 

Both Chin and Jawan also agreed that sweeping changes needed to be made to the party’s structure. 

Jawan said for Sarawak PKR to be steered in the right direction, Anwar needed to revamp the state’s leadership line-up and bring new people into the party. 

However, unlike Chin, Jawan believed there were many new faces in the party who could deliver results.

“Sarawak PKR is already there.” 

Jawan said the party only needed to strengthen its grassroots and expand its membership without poaching GPS members. 

Chin pointed out that the party had no election machinery to show. 

“So, whoever is (going to run) the party, he needs a proper party machinery to support its election efforts,” he added. 

If the changes are in place, Jawan said Sarawak PKR could change the political landscape of Sarawak in the next state elections and the next general election.  

“There are enough Dayaks who want change. The Chinese are ever ready for a new and good way in moving forward. 

“The undercurrent among the Malay-Melanau has been underestimated because no other political party has made any inroad into the community since the 60s.” 

While Jawan said those goals were within reach, he warned that it would not happen if PKR made a seismic political shift and allied with PAS. 

“The party (PAS) is not suitable for multi-ethnic, multi-religious Sarawak.” 

The reasons, he said, are very clear.  

“PAS candidates have all lost ever since they entered the political contests in Sarawak.” – December 14, 2022.