Tiong-Sim row ‘too small’ to warrant PBB’s intervention, says analyst

Another observer expects the GPS lynchpin to intervene behind the scenes to resolve the feud between PDP’s Tiong King Sing and SUPP’s Dr Sim Kui Hian.

The feud between GPS leaders Tiong King Sing and Dr Sim Kui Hian dates back to 2021, when Tiong was named the coalition’s candidate for Dudong, a longtime SUPP constituency.

PETALING JAYA:

 The ongoing row between Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders Tiong King Sing and Dr Sim Kui Hian is “too small” to warrant the intervention of GPS lynchpin Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), said an analyst.

Academy of Sciences Malaysia’s Jayum Jawan said the feud between the presidents of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) does not affect PBB, and may even be “healthy”.

Jayum argued that it may lead to better representation for constituents in Dudong and Bawang Assan, the two seats currently held by PDP and at the centre of the feud.

“Ultimately, the grassroots of both constituencies will decide if they are better represented by SUPP or PDP. The matter is too small for PBB to intervene. It will not affect their roles and position within GPS,” he told FMT.

James Chin of the University of Tasmania, however, expects PBB to intervene before the next state election — albeit behind the scenes.

“They know that any additional publicity about this is bad for GPS. So they’ll probably intervene in the background, but not so soon. They’ll just see how it plays out before the state election.”

The pair’s feud dates back to the 2021 Sarawak polls when GPS named Tiong as its candidate for the Dudong seat, a constituency SUPP had held for decades. A “shocked” Sim protested, saying it was not what was agreed on — but eventually conceded.

PDP later gained several more seats by adding to its ranks members of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) following PSB’s dissolution. This included the Bawang Assan seat, held by former SUPP leader Wong Soon Koh since 1991.

SUPP tried to regain Bawang Assan from Wong in 2021, but lost by just 913 votes. Since then, PDP has accused SUPP of plotting to reclaim the two seats in the next state polls.

Most recently, Tiong accused Sim of being “power hungry”, claiming he had meddled in the appointments of community leaders in Dudong.

PDP has nothing to lose

Jayum said PDP should challenge for the seats even if GPS designates candidates from SUPP to contest them, saying it has “nothing to lose” as these were not PDP’s traditional seats to begin with.

He said PDP was the smallest party in GPS — based on the number of parliamentary and state assembly representatives in its ranks — and needs the seats to bolster its standing in the coalition.

“By all indications, PDP is not being treated well, as it is the only GPS partner that does not have a full minister in the state government,” he pointed out.

Jayum added that such clashes are unlikely to disrupt GPS as a whole as its dominant party PBB remained stable. “So PDP can throw a threat and it won’t go far to rattle GPS.”

On the other hand, he said Sim would be made to pay by the SUPP grassroots if he did not attempt to regain both seats from PDP.

“It was already a misstep when Sim allowed Dudong to fall to PDP in 2021,” he added.

Despite this, both Jayum and Chin said neither party would dare leave GPS in protest given the coalition’s stranglehold on Sarawak’s political arena. GPS currently holds 80 of 82 seats in the state assembly.

Chin expects Tiong to remain headstrong about PDP contesting the Dudong and Bawang Assan seats, and for SUPP to field independent candidates to wrest or disrupt its GPS ally, albeit indirectly.

“Having said that, we know that PDP is very active on the ground and that Tiong is somebody not to be messed with. So if SUPP takes Tiong on, I think these two will create a lot of headache for the GPS leadership.” - FMT