Something's afoot in Sarawak

For the first time, George Chan Hong Nam is battling for his political life. His influence in Sarawak, which at one time was considered as near invincible just like close friend Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's, is now waning.

The current Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak he assumed office on 9th September 1996 and the current president of Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), assuming this post in 1997 besides being the State Assemblyman of Piasau, a seat located in Miri, which he has been holding since 1983.

Malaysia Chronicle spoke to DAP MP of Serdang Teo Nie Ching, who has been to Sarawak recently, to find out the Chinese voter sentiment there.

"The Chinese business community expressed to me they want change because they are fed-up of Taib and his cronyism. They are of the view George Chan of SUPP is in cahoots with Taib. Both of them have set up 1,001 companies as a front for their wealth amassing deeds," said Teo.

It is difficult to do business in Sarawak if you do not have connections with either Taib or George. A lot of business is done if you know so-and-so, who knows Taib's or George's so-and-so.

He said the Chinese are also sore with Taib for telling them unless they choose BN they will be left out by the Federal Government.

Unsettling incidents

DAP's Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng informed MalaysiaChronicle the support for DAP was very good when he was in Sarawak recently. The response was very encouraging but Lim cautioned everything still boils down to the polling day as there is still some way to go and anything can happen in between.

In the meantime, food prices are going up day by day and so is the cost of living. Sarawakian Chinese questioned George Chan why the petroleum money has not been used, to subsidise the food prices, which sky-rocketted.

There are internal squabbles in SUPP. One of the bickerings involved Dundang State Assemblyman Soon Choon Teck, who lashed out at George Chan for saying Soon will not be contesting in the coming Sarawak polls.

Soon, who is the assistant publicity and information officer claimed the Central Working Committe Meeting on 24th February, unanimously, endorsed the candidacy of the 12 SUPP incumbents and he was one of them but George Chan said otherwise.

George Chan declared he would be retiring soon but like Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, he too gave no specific date. The insults heaped on MCA by Nazri Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department shows BN does not respect the Chinese and this took the wind out of SUPP's sails, a little.

Some Chinese told the Segambut MP if BN does not respect MCA, it makes no difference if the Chinese were to vote SUPP or DAP and it is better, to vote for DAP just to show George Chan a thing or two.

This means for the first time in history since its founding in 1959, SUPP will be facing a do-or-die battle.

The Chinese population is around 26% in Sarawak.

However, on a more important note is the Iban vote as the Ibans make up 34% of the population.

In regards to Sarawak National Party (Snap), founded in 1961, the Opposition of Sarawak, there has been rumours some of its candidates have been bought over by the enemy camp. No one knows whether there is any truth to this rumour.

However, a Pakatan MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity remarked PR has got no choice in this matter and if there is to be 3-cornered fights then so be it.

Malaysia Chronicle spoke to an Iban SNAP supporter who is working in KL who will be going back home to vote. This Iban lady who wanted to be known only as Yvonne informed Malaysia Chronicle her family members voted for BN in 2006 but she herself voted for the DAP candidate. She said she will vote for the Opposition again this time around but she is quite sure her family members will still vote for BN.

"It is difficult to change the mindset of the elderly folks who all consider Taib as our leader," she said.

Many of her family members and relatives back home in Sarawak referred to Peninsular Malaysia as another country. She continued saying, "when my parents tell others I am working in Peninsular Malaysia, they always say, 'Yvonne has gone to another country, to earn a living'".

Many of the Ibans it seems are still living in a time warp. When they see soldiers from Peninsular Malaysia coming to Sarawak to do jungle duty, they would express surprise by saying, it was not necessary for soldiers from another nation to come to Sarawak.

Interreligious dynamics

As for the Bible issue, Yvonne opined, the heat of it may die down when polling day comes on 16th April,

"BN is cunning in killing off the issue fast and many Ibans who are Christians will be deceived as there is still more than 2 weeks to go before we vote," commented Yvonne who is a Roman Catholic and who reads the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia.

Yvonne cautioned it would not be easy for PKR, to win the native seats due to the fixed mindset of the Ibans and other native folks who think of Taib as a native chieftain.

It certainly looks like Pakatan Rakyat will be facing an uphill battle in Sarawak taking into account the short campaign duration of 10 days given by the Election Commission. - Malaysia Chronicle