The Sarawak Agenda

(The Borneo Post) – BY looking at the list of candidates, which was announced after nomination, one cannot help but to admit that there is a strategic move by Pakatan Harapan (PH) to get the maximum of the 31 seats up for grabs in Sarawak.

PH, under former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, looks more formidable this time around, compared with the opposition pacts in previous general elections.

As Sarawak is regarded as a Barisan Nasional (BN) fixed-deposit, PH is keen to take on BN in straight fights in all 31 seats, including not sending a candidate to contest in Julau; thus allowing former assistant minister Larry Sng a straight flight against incumbent Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum.

While PH is banking on a solid partnership between its tripartite alliance of PKR, DAP and Pribumi to take on the mighty BN, there are 15 seats where Sarawak-based parties such as STAR, PBDS Baru, Sarawak Peace Party and PAS — as well as Independent candidates — join the fray to make this 14th general election (GE14) a more colourful affair, which prevents a straight fight between BN and PH.

But there is no doubt that state BN under its new team captain, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, is feeling cornered as this is his first battle after taking over from the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, who had shown his mettle with a huge victory in the last state election — winning 72 out of 82 seats.

While Sarawak is banking on BN under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to prevail and continue leading the country, in reality it would be tricky for Sarawak if both Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah were to sway to PH.

Still Abang Johari, who is leading the state in seeking for greater autonomy from Putrajaya, has made his point clear that Sarawak would stick with BN under Najib and is optimistic that it will not fall.

In a recent interview, Abang Johari was quite shocked with two questions asked of him: ‘What would Sarawak’s stance be if BN were to fall, and will it ‘sink and swim with BN?’

“We are confident that BN will win in the coming general election. It will prevail and we are confident about that,” he said after presenting the letter of authorisation to BN candidates at PBB headquarters here.

And during a function in Betong yesterday, Abang Johari warned Sarawakians that they should not allow history to repeat itself — warning Sarawakians not to vote for PH under Dr Mahathir as he did little to alleviate Sarawak, unlike the present government under Najib.

Political analysts, on the other hand, have cautioned that it would be tough for Najib to retain the 133 seats it won in GE13 because states such as Selangor, Penang, Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu are vulnerable.

State BN secretary-general Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi echoed the chief minister’s sentiment by saying that Sarawak would continue to back Najib as prime minister as he has been consistent with the issue of devolution of powers to the state.

He said if Sarawak were to contribute the most seats to the BN, then it would play a significant role in governing the country.

“We are with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib because he has been fair to us and he has actually done more to Sarawak compared with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his 22 years in office,” said Nanta in commenting on the issue.

On Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Nanta — the grandson of Tun Jugah Barieng, one of the founding members of the Malaysia Federation — expressed his confidence that the state’s rights, which had been eroded over the years, would be given back.

“MA63 has been approved by the prime minister and the devolution of powers is on-going. The opposition said there’s no progress.

“But I say, there is, as we are working on the details now. It has been agreed and approved. So, there is no issue as the prime minister has agreed with Sarawak’s request. No doubt about that — full stop.”

Nanta added that he was proud that the state’s rights were now slowly being returned to the state.

“Before, we were short-changed and we didn’t feel good. Since the last few years under the late Tok Nan, we have regained what we have lost over the years; what we lost was when Tun Mahathir was the leader, but (he is) now the opposition leader. That’s a fact.”

He also quoted his late grandfather’s famous saying: ‘Let’s not be like the sugar cane, initially it is sweat but then it’s tasteless at the end’.

Nanta admitted that there were times when Sarawak was short-changed but now, ‘she is proud that the rights are slowly returned to her (Sarawak)’.

“That, to me, is very sweet and that’s the reason I stay with Barisan Nasional and work hard to support Datuk Seri Najib, Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari and their cabinets.”

Thus, in all honesty, Abang Johari and the state BN leaders’ preference for further negotiation on MA63 is obviously with Najib, rather than with Dr Mahathir.

Sarawak has even made its stance crystal clear that it will reject the so-called ‘memorandum’ offered by PH, which is dangling better ‘deals’ for Sarawak should it take over Putrajaya.