Angry Chinese unite against Taib

Prior to the Chinese New Year celebration in February this year, Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud advised the Chinese, especially those in Sibu, that it is best and to their interests that they follow the mainstream and vote the Barisan Nasional if they do not want the community to be left out of the development policies and programmes implemented by the federal government.

Taib was also quoted by the mainstream media as saying that the Chinese could make demands, but must not shout to get themselves heard, and must ask nicely.

It is such a manner of talk by Taib which has coalesced the Chinese community in Sarawak into a solid united movement to vote out the BN.

Hence, the current state election is the golden opportunity for the people to vote for change, especially when there is a viable alternative in the Pakatan Rakyat.

The Pakatan Rakyat has indeed been tempting them, promising it is all set to spearhead the thrust for an electoral revolution in Sarawak to bring about a new and better state administration to give a new lease of socio-political and economic life to the people of Sarawak.

Chinese swing

Not surprisingly, PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli has expressed optimistism about the Pakatan's chances in the current state election, predicting a 70 per cent chance of denying the BN two-thirds majority if not outright winning the state government.

However, the statistics are not in the Pakatan Rakyat's favour. The Sarawak population comprises 34% Ibans, 26% Chinese, and 21% Malays, with 40% of the population being Christians. Adding up all the Chinese and Iban votes will give a total of 60%. Of course, not all the Chinese or Ibans support the Pakatan Rakyat.

There is already talk on the ground that the Chinese vote will swing to the Pakatan Rakyat this time.

DAP Sibu MP Wong Ho Leng told the Malaysia Chronicle that the Chinese are responding well to Pakatan Rakyat overtures.

Asked about a theory being circulated that each Chinese clan is opting to support its own pet political party, Wong is adamant that this time the Chinese are really fed up and angry with the BN and are now solidly united in backing the Pakatan Rakyat.

According to Wong, this is because the community has had enough of the alleged extensive corrupt practices by the BN state leaders, which he claims have been going on unabated.

"Taib has alienated lots and lots of land to himself, his family members, friends, relatives and crony companies. The Chinese are fed up. They are can see that the wealth of the state is being siphoned away. Corruption rules the day in Sarawak and it is difficult to do business if you are not connected to Taib," Wong said.

When asked on the seat allocation for the Pakatan Rakyat partners, Wong only said that the matter is still being finalized by the coalition’s top leaders, and that everything is already in the final phase of preparation.

The rural vote

However, it is the rural native vote that still holds sway in Sarawak. This is the stumbling block for the Pakatan Rakyat all along. Due to the absence of vital information, the natives continue to vote the BN.

Most of the Chinese stay in the main towns of Sarawak, namely Kuching, Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu.

In Kuching where the population is around 2,400,000 according to the 2010 Census, the DAP has gained a very strong foothold. The current MP is Chong Chieng Jen whose father is the one who was instrumental in the setting up of the DAP in Sarawak. Chong is also the current Kota Sentosa state assembly member. This state seat is located in the parliamentary seat of Kuching.

Chong is likely to do battle again with SUPP's Alfred Yap who lost to him by a thin majority of 531 votes in the 2006 state polls. Chong, howeve, said that the DAP state committee has yet to decide on his candidacy, and also that of the other DAP candidates as well.

“The DAP may even announce our candidates at the eleventh hour,” he told the Malaysia Chronicle.

Chong also pointed out that much development had taken place in Kuching since the alternative coalition took over in 2006, citing examples of infrastructure development in Mile 7 Jalan Stutong road-widening and the transformation of mud drains into concrete drains in the Pending area.

Taib's ploy

Besides Kota Sentosa, two other state seats in Kuching held by the DAP are Batu Lintang won by Voon Lee Shan, and Pending won by Violet Yong Wui Wui.

In the Bukit Assek state seat, which is located in the parliamentary constituency of Sibu, the current state assembly member is also the DAP's Sibu MP Wong Ho Leng.

Sibu SUPP assistant secretary Chieng Buong Toon has been nominated by his branch to contest in the Bukit Assek constituency in the state election. Chieng is a two-term councillor in the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC). He had opened a service centre named Chieng Buong Toon Service Centre at Hua Kiew Road in August last year.

The 5th DAP state assembly member is Chiew Chiu Sing in Kidurong, a coastal town in Bintulu, which is a major industrial centre. Its port area is located to the east of the main town and hosts the Petronas Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Complex, currently the world’s largest LNG production facility on a single site with an annual production of 23 million tonnes.

The 6th DAP state assembly member is Ting Tze Fui in Meradong, located in Sarikei.

The DAP hopes to do well in the current state polls in the Chinese seats it is contesting, although it is not discounting the possibility of vote-rigging as there have been a sharp and sudden increase of names in the voter rolls recently in constituencies controlled by the DAP.

The SUPP influence is weakening as many Chinese see SUPP chief George Chan as nothing more than a puppet of Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.

Wong believes that Taib's announcement that he is stepping down after the state election is merely a ploy to garner support from the gullible electorate who may want to give Taib a final hurrah. - Malaysia Chronicle