Tan Sri Dr James Masing says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is neglecting the Dayak voters. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, November 26, 2014.Sarawak's outspoken minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing has lashed out at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for his near obsession with winning back Chinese votes but neglecting the Dayak vote bank which has kept the Barisan Nasional in power.
“Why are you so focused on winning back Chinese voters that you pay scant heed to the rural Dayak voters that helped keep you and the Barisan Nasional in power?” asked Masing who is Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president.
"If you say Chinese support is crucial for BN, I say Dayak support is integral for the BN to continue administrating this nation,” Masing, a Dayak Iban from rural Baleh near Kapit, said.
Masing's outburst comes as the lynchpin BN party, Umno, begins its annual meeting in Kuala Lumpur today .
The prime minister in an interview with the Umno mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia's weekend edition, Mingguan Malaysia, had spoken on the need to find a “win-win solution” to win back Chinese support.
In the interview, Najib had said that the level of Chinese support had not reached the desired levels and there was still work to be done.
However, Masing felt Najib should show more respect to the Dayaks who had continued to vote Barisan Nasional, despite a strong attempt by Pakatan Rakyat to win over the community in the last general election.
"Small may be our numbers compared to the Chinsese, but our seats are reliable and they keep on coming back to support BN.
“The BN leadership therefore should not take Dayak support for granted. When the Dayaks give, they expect to receive what is due to them.
“Nothing more, nothing less. Just be fair to us," Sarawak's Land Development Minister said.
Masing has often spoken out when federal BN leaders overlooked or ignored Sarawak's interests.
A research by independent online research house PoliTweet.org on the 13th general election found the ruling BN gained most of its votes from rural federal seats while the opposition Pakatan Rakyat increased its support in urban and semi-urban areas.
The survey revealed BN represents the rural majority and can retain power with rural and semi-urban seats alone.
According to PoliTweet, 108 out of the 133 parliamentary seats (81 per cent) won by BN came from rural seats, while PR won urban or semi-urban seats with almost the same percentage (72 out of 89 seats).
In Sarawak, which has 31 parliamentary seats, PR won all six urban Chinese-majority seats – Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Sarikei, Lanang, Sibu and Miri – but not one of the remaining 25 Malay and Dayak-majority urban, semi-urban and rural seats.
Masing's PRS won all the six seats allocated by the BN to the party.
Despite the win, Masing to this day is still unhappy with the rewards to the party.
“We contributed six seats. What did we get in return? One minister's post.
“Ada dua party dapat (there are two parties which have) one MP each, itu pun dapat (that too got) one minister each. Fair kah? (Is that fair)?" he asked.
Masing was referring to the Gerakan and Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) which have only one member of parliament each but both are ministers in the Najib administration.
The Chinese-based SUPP lost all its urban seats but its deputy president, Datuk Richard Riot, retained the Serian Dayak-majority seat. He was then made Human Resources Minister.
- TMI
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