THE contest for the vacant president’s post in Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) has fizzled out after weeks of talk that a fractious leadership fight was on the cards, following the death of James Masing last year.

The party, one of the four members of the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition, brokered a deal to avert a possible fratricide.

At its triennial delegates conference in Sibu this weekend, the party announced that it had “agreed to a consensus line-up”.

Deputy president Joseph Salang will inherit the post, while one of the party’s four vice presidents John Sikie – who was expected to challenge – will remain a vice-president for three years until the next conference.

Sikie had previously told local news media that his decision to contest the top post was “at the request of PRS grassroots leaders and several elected representatives”.

Nonetheless, the “consensus line-up” is seen as a big climb down for Sikie.

He would not even be a vice president, if a disclosure by the party’s youth Chief Snowdan Lawan holds any truth.

Lawan said that the deal includes Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Majang Renggi becoming new party deputy president.

University of Tasmania professor of Asian Studies James Chin could not fathom the big climb-down.

“It is a bit strange Sikie did not become No 2, despite asking for the position,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

“He should have insisted on it as the bride’s price.”

Meanwhile, Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Jayum Jawan said Sikie should have stuck to his guns and gone for the top post.

“Contest is the way to pick the best to lead. Consolidation can come later, not before.

“Suppressing democracy is denying the best the chance to emerge and offer their services,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

However, Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the decision to avert a contest was to avoid what could be a fractious poll.

“A contentious party poll when the general election is just round the corner is never good,” he said, adding that it will only create fissures within the party and weaken it.

“The group that lost could be angry enough to sabotage the party’s general election preparations and in extreme cases defect to other parties.

“What’s the point of being the president or deputy president when the party performs poorly in the general election, because it is weak and divided?

“PRS’s focus should be on the election, which is expected this year. The party should be able to deliver. That’s more important now than fighting over party posts,” he said.

In a statement, the party said its leaders “are conscious of damaging effects on GPS if they do not manage internal conflict”.

It said in the interest of PRS unity and solidarity, its supreme council had decided to eliminate the need for election in the forthcoming party conference.

It added the public image of the party is at stake, as is the image of Dayak political leadership, in apparent reference to the election turmoil that led to the deregistration of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) in 2004.

Party members aligned with Masing went on to form PRS. – April 22, 2022.