WHY and how Sarawak Barisan Nasional lost so many Dayak seats – so-called “fixed deposits” – in the May 9 polls continue to be discussed in coffee shops and the “ruai” (common-area corridor) of longhouses.

To many, the loss of five seats to Pakatan Harapan and independents has yet to sink in.

Every component in the state BN, with the exception of the Sarawak United People’s Party, lost at least one Dayak seat. The Dayak-based Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) was the biggest loser, having lost three of the six seats it contested.

The state BN’s lead component, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), for the first time in its history lost a seat, while the smaller Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) lost one seat itself.

PDP failed to retain the Bidayuh-majority seat of Mas Gading, PBB lost Puncak Borneo, a seat it had held since its creation in 1999, and PRS lost in its strongholds of Selangau, Lubok Antu and Julau.

To rub salt into PRS’ wound, a young Chinese politician, whose family has an axe to grind with party president James Masing, won Julau as an independent.

The question being asked is, have Dayaks turned their backs on BN?

“Yes” was the answer given by Baharuddin Mokshen, the man who plotted the PKR campaign in Sarawak.

“The main issues affecting rural voters are bread-and-butter issues. The price of food has risen, and they face real difficulty to survive and make ends meet,” said Baharuddin, or Baha as he is popularly known, referring to PH’s election pledge to scrap the unpopular goods and services tax.

“There is not enough money to go around in the family. That was the tipping point.”

He said BN was in jeopardy even before the first vote was cast, as rural Dayak voters had already made up their minds to dump the coalition.

Another hot topic of discussion is Masing’s last-minute decision to sack his deputy and Selangau incumbent, Joseph Entulu, and Lubok Antu incumbent William Nyallau Badak, as well as their key supporters.

Baha said this was a contributing factor, “not really the (ultimate) factor”.

Masing, with the backing of a “special committee”, on April 22 – just days before nomination day – sacked “with immediate effect” Entulu, Nyallau, who was widely speculated to be the favoured candidate for Selangau, Nyempah Sabot, Edward Kurik and Adriana Chumang.

Their crime? Disobeying the party after the candidates’ list was announced and putting the party in disrepute.

Masing fielded corporate lawyer Rita Insol in Selangau and former Sabah chief public prosecutor Robert Pasang Alam in Lubok Antu. He retained four-term MP and former deputy information, communications and culture minister Jospeh Salang in Julau.

Dayak voters Philip Nichol and Richard Spencer said the sackings resulted in Entulu and Nyallau’s supporters voting for the opposition in protest.

Nichol, an aeronautical engineer, said the mess created by Masing set the stage for BN’s defeat.

“Masing’s sacking of Entulu and Nyallau was a very large factor in the defeat.”

Businessman Spencer agreed with this view.

Debate on the matter will continue in the coming days over “tuak” (rice wine) and “langkau” (moonshine) in the “ruai”, as Dayaks return home for the Gawai Dayak rice harvest festival next week. – May 26, 2018.