BERSATU, already seen as a “mosquito party” in Sarawak even with two members of parliament – Ali Biju (Saratok) and Willie Mongin (Puncak Borneo) – in its ranks, could slide into political oblivion if the duo dump the party in search for political survival, analysts said.

Mongin has announced that he had formally submitted an application to join Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), the lynchpin of the four-party ruling state coalition, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), while speculation is rife that Ali will similarly take the same step.

Mongin had never disclosed when he submitted his application but according to media reports, he did it just after the December 2021 state elections.

University of Tasmania’s Asian expert James Chin was quick to point out that the imminent double defections have no link with the defection of Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin, who quit the Muhyiddin Yassin-led party on May 26 for the newly launched multiracial party, Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).

Zuraida joined Bersatu after quitting PKR in February 2020.

Zuraida had said she was joining PBM “because of the party’s principles of multiracial engagement, women empowerment, youth empowerment, economic development, education and the advancement of science and technology as elements to make Malaysia a developed country”.

She also said she saw a lot of potential in PBM, “especially at a time when Malaysians are tired of the old politics, which stifled the progress of the country”.

Chin said Ali and Mongin have no such ideals as Zuraida.

He said for the duo, it is a case of finding a lifeboat to survive the next general election.

“It’s purely political survival. Now that Muhyiddin is no longer the prime minister, he is, therefore, in no position to appeal for them with GPS in the general election,” he said.

Chin told The Malaysian Insight that GPS “had told Muhyiddin in not so many words” that there is nothing he could do because Bersatu had lost big in the Malacca and Johor state elections.

“There’s no reason to think that even if they come to Sarawak, they could do anything better. People have lost faith in Bersatu,” he said.

So have Ali and Mongin, he added.

Chin said with most people now thinking Bersatu would not do well in the next general election, the question for Ali and Mongin is how they are going to reposition themselves if they are to have any chance of defending their respective seats.

Ali, who is also the deputy minister of energy and natural resources in the present Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional federal government, and Mongin, the second deputy minister of plantation industries and commodities, won their seats in the 2018 general election on the PKR ticket.

Both were later sacked for their role in the Sheraton Move, which led to the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government.

Universiti Malaya’s political analyst Awang Azman Awang Pawi agreed with Chin that Bersatu is too weak to do anything for Ali and Mongin in the 15th general election (GE15).

“Bersatu has become weak after they left the Pakatan Harapan coalition (in February 2020),” he said.

Awang Azman said they became weaker when the party self-imploded when former chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad left to form a new party, Pejuang.

“With him no longer a prime minister, Muhyiddin no longer has any clout to make political deals, particularly so with GPS for Ali and Mongin in GE15.”

Sarawak Bersatu, constituted in 2019, is led by Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian, an architect.

Jaziri is also a political novice who, according to political watchers, has yet to put in place an election machinery that could give Ali and Mongin a fighting chance. – July 9, 2022.