The extensive campaign to highlight alleged land grabs in Sarawak has become a double-edged sword for the opposition, causing restlessness among Dayak voters but also a rift between PKR and the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) in their ambition to claim the chief ministership.
Barisan Nasional (BN) is not expected to lose the 26 Malay-Melanau seats held by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).
But should BN be denied the 36 seats needed to retain power, then the opposition party with the most Dayak representatives would be in a strong position to lead a new state government.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will be forced to negotiate with SNAP to form government despite the latter failing to reach an electoral pact with PKR before nominations on Wednesday.
A SNAP operative said that even though DAP was expected to deliver the lion’s share of opposition seats, a Chinese CM would not be politically acceptable.
“Even though PKR thinks it can win some Malay-Melanau seats, it will boil down to who can be said to represent the Dayaks, who are the real majority race in the state,” the source told The Malaysian Insider.
“If SNAP has more Dayak seats, president Edwin Dundang will definitely try to put himself up for CM,” he said, although he added that younger leaders like vice presidents Anthony Liman and Augustine Liom may come into the picture.
PKR sources revealed that even though it relaxed from deputy president Azmin Ali’s earlier position of just three seats for SNAP, it was never willing to allow the latter the lion’s share of the 27 Dayak seats.
PKR also decided to run Gerang ak Dagom in Marudi despite earlier assurances it would not contest against Dundang.
PR parties have already endorsed state PKR chief Baru Bian as their CM-elect.
The lawyer, who is running in Ba’Kelalan, has been leading the fight for Dayaks against the state government over native customary rights (NCR) land.
Abdul Taib’s 30-year administration has been accused of widespread corruption in appropriating land with little or no compensation given to mainly Dayak landowners.
It is understood that intelligence reports are finding that the land issue is causing BN, who swept 63 of the 71 seats in the 2006 state polls, some unease in Dayak territory this time around.
Political scientist Shahruddin Badaruddin told The Malaysian Insider that PKR is still confident of securing Dayak support without SNAP’s help.
“They don’t feel that their machinery will be greatly affected. They have raised local leaders and Baru has been visibly fighting for Dayaks on the land issue,” the Universiti Teknology Mara professor said.
Analyst Ong Kian Ming also said that the Dayak vote was more likely to swing than the other communities.
“It has been common for an independent Dayak candidate to win. A localised candidate is more important than the party brand,” he said.
